Dozens injured in San Francisco light-rail crash

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-19 13:45

SAN FRANCISCO: Several dozen people were injured when two San Francisco light-rail trains collided Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Officials said 47 people were taken to hospitals -- four with what appeared to be severe injuries -- when a San Francisco Municipal Railway train rear-ended another near a boarding platform about 2:30 pm, officials said.

"This is probably one of the largest casualty incidents in recent years (in San Francisco)," said Pat Gardner, a deputy chief with the San Francisco Fire Department.

Gardner said about half of those wounded suffered moderate injuries and that everyone who was injured remained conscious.

Witnesses said the westbound train barreled into the other one as it emerged from a tunnel connecting downtown San Francisco to the city's western neighborhoods.

The trains were full. The front of the first train was smashed, while the second train did not appear to suffer major damage. The operator of the first train was among the three who were seriously injured.

Several people sat bloodied and bandaged near the crash scene as rescue workers set up a triage system to isolate the most severely injured.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Judson True, a spokesman for the San Francisco Municipal Railway, said investigators will look at "mechanical and human issues."