LRT Line 2. INQUIRER FILE
MANILA, Philippines – A “dead” train of the Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2) suddenly came to life Saturday night and collided with an active coach injuring 31 people, authorities said.
Subsequently, LRT authorities suspended train operations between Santolan and Recto on Sunday morning as the wreckage of the two trains were removed.
The dead, or non-functioning train, was parked on a pocket track between the Anonas and Cubao stations when it started moving, LRTA spokesperson Hernando Cabrera was quoted by media as saying.
The train had reportedly malfunctioned and was parked at the middle track waiting to be towed back to the LRT-2 depot in Santolan, Pasig City.
According to Cabrera, the runaway train rolled onto the eastbound tracks and started moving towards Cubao, into the path of Train No. 13, which was going in the opposite direction towards Pasig.
LRT station operators alerted Train No. 13’s driver who stopped the train and told passengers to brace for impact.
Despite the warning, 31 passengers were hurt when the runaway train slammed head-on into Train No. 13.
LRTA Public Relations officer Emily Jaleo said the injured were rushed to two hospitals. She added that seven passengers were allowed to go home after treatment.
Train officials said an investigation was ongoing to determine the cause of the mishap. (Editor: Cenon B. Bibe Jr.)