On Thursday night, a passenger train collided with a fuel tanker truck in the Minas municipality of Camagüey, causing the locomotive to partially derail and injuring three people. The incident took place at approximately 9:20 p.m. on October 9, at the 31.3-kilometer mark on the railway branch connecting Camagüey with Nuevitas. Locomotive 38141 of Extra Train 585 struck a fuel truck belonging to the company Cupet that had obstructed the railway crossing, confirmed the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, on his Facebook profile.
The injured individuals—comprising the train's assistant engineer, the truck's driver, and his companion—were transported to the provincial hospital in Camagüey. Fortunately, they are not in life-threatening condition, Rodríguez added.
The train, which departed from Camagüey station at 5:40 p.m. with five cars and numerous passengers, was scheduled to arrive in Nuevitas by 8:40 p.m. Following the crash, passengers were evacuated to their destination using two buses from local entities.
Authorities Respond Swiftly to Accident
According to the Transport Minister, officials from the Communist Party, the Government, the Ministry of the Interior, Civil Defense, and the Central Eastern Railroad Company promptly arrived at the accident site, accompanied by SIUM and rescue teams. Rail traffic in the area remains halted as efforts are underway to restore it. A locomotive was dispatched from Camagüey to assist with recovery operations.
The minister expressed regret over the accident and reiterated the call for drivers to "pay close attention when operating vehicles, especially at railway crossings," in a nation where accidents due to negligence are still prevalent.
History of Train Accidents in Cuba
In August, a passenger train traveling from Havana to Pinar del Río collided with a rental car carrying four individuals at the Rafael Peña street crossing in San Cristóbal municipality. The vehicle had crossed onto the tracks without stopping, leading to the crash. Five people sustained injuries, with three hospitalized, following the derailment of the Guantánamo–Havana train on August 6 near the outskirts of Matanzas city.
A modern car suffered significant damage after being hit by a train on July 24 in an area known as Maidique, Ciego de Ávila province. Fortunately, the vehicle's two occupants escaped unharmed. On the same day, a private Hyundai car collided with a train on the Baraguá-Ciego de Ávila route, with no fatalities reported.
Earlier in June, a university train in Santa Clara derailed, though no injuries or infrastructure damages were reported. On May 27, at 9:45 p.m., the extra train #16 traveling from Holguín to Havana derailed at kilometer 522.6 of the central line near El Cárnico commercial access in Camagüey. This incident resulted in a generator wagon overturning and two passenger cars leaving the tracks, injuring 18 people.
Understanding Train Accidents in Cuba
What caused the recent train accident in Camagüey?
The train accident in Camagüey was caused by a collision between a passenger train and a fuel tanker truck that obstructed the railway crossing.
How are the injured individuals from the Camagüey train accident?
The three injured individuals were taken to a provincial hospital in Camagüey and are not in life-threatening condition.
What measures are being taken following the train accidents in Cuba?
Authorities are working to restore rail services and have called for increased attention from drivers at railway crossings to prevent future incidents.