Firemen rescue wounded passengers from the commuter train after the collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday. Leonardo Zavattaro, Telam / AP Photo
Firemen rescue wounded passengers from the commuter train after the collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday. Leonardo Zavattaro, Telam / AP Photo
Firemen rescue wounded passengers from the commuter train after the collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday. Leonardo Zavattaro, Telam / AP Photo
Firemen rescue wounded passengers from the commuter train after the collision in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday. Leonardo Zavattaro, Telam / AP Photo

Argentina train crash kills 49 and injures hundreds


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BUENOS AIRES // A packed commuter train slammed into a retaining wall at a railway terminus in Buenos Aires during rush hour yesterday, leaving at least 49 dead, 675 injured, and dozens trapped in the wreckage.

"The train was full and the impact was tremendous," a passenger identified only as Ezequiel told local television, adding that medics at the scene appeared overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster.

Witnesses said the train's brakes failed as it was arriving at the Once station on the western outskirts of Argentina's capital.

Passengers were hurled on top of each other and knocked to the floor of the train, some losing consciousness and others seriously injured, they said.

"Unfortunately, we must report that there are 49 dead in the accident," including a child, police spokesman Nestor Rodriguez told a news conference.

Civil defence officials said that at least 675 people were hurt in the crash, 200 of them seriously.

Medevac helicopters landed in the street outside the station to ferry the most seriously wounded to hospitals, as ambulances raced in and out of the area.

"There were people who were crushed and shouting desperately. I saw bodies and blood all over the place," said passenger Alejandro Velazquez.

The government called for two days of mourning and suspended Carnival celebrations, including a massive parade planned in Buenos Aires tomorrow.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner suspended a news conference on the dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands following news of the crash.

Condolences from the British minister of state for Latin America, Jeremy Browne, were among numerous foreign sympathy messages sent to Argentina.

Transport Secretary Juan Pablo Schiavi said the train entered the station at a speed of 20 kilometres (12 miles) an hour and failed to stop, crashing into a retaining wall at the end of the track.

"It was a very serious accident," he said at a news conference. "Cars piled up on top of each other and one them went six metres inside another car."

Dozens were trapped in the twisted wreckage of the first and second carriages.

Firefighters and rescue workers had to break through skylights in the train's roofs to reach those trapped inside.

The train's driver was injured but rescue workers pried him loose from the wreckage of his cabin. He was 28 years old and had an excellent record, according to Schiavi.

The Sarmiento rail line, owned by private company TBA, links the centre of Buenos Aires to a densely populated suburb 70 kilometres to the west of the city. It uses rolling stock made in Japan and was acquired in the 1960s.

TBA said it did not know the cause of the crash and would bring "all information and videos to the courts."

Twelve hours after the crash, families of missing passengers desperately searched hospitals, the morgue and a public cemetery where dozens of bodies were taken.

Authorities gave lists of hundreds of wounded, but the identities of many of the deceased and wounded remained unknown.

"I was in five hospitals and I couldn't find my wife," said a man who gave his name as Jose and said his pregnant wife had been in one of the first cars.

"They told us there are people being operated on and they don't know who they are. There's no way to know until they come out of surgery," said Luisa, looking for her 24-year-old son.

TV channels broadcast photographs of missing people as social networks filled with messages from people searching for information.

The Bolivian embassy said one of its workers was missing and had presumably been on the train.

The toll from yesterday's crash surpassed the city's last major rail disaster just five months ago when two trains and a bus collided during rush hour, killing 11 people and injuring more than 200.

The region's transit system has been plagued with serious accidents in recent years.

In March 2008, 18 people were killed and 47 injured when a bus was hit by a train in Dolores, 212 kilometres south of Buenos Aires.

Argentina's deadliest train tragedy was in 1970, an accident that killed 236 people in northern Buenos Aires.

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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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Need to know

The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours. 

The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend  are  January-February and September-October.  Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.

Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.

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PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

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MATCH INFO

CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures

Tuesday:

Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)

Second legs:

October 23