? Steam Train Derailment ?

[Tom Macrery]

I heard a very brief mention on 702 News yesterday of the derailment of ?one? carriage of a steam train, by a private operator, in Rutenberg. Anyone heard anything about this?

[Dylan Knott]

Possibly the mini train at Sun City? Not sure but heard a mini train's carriage derailed injuring passengers. No details and I could be mistaken.

[John Ashworth]

Yes, it was the Sun City train. I picked it up yesterday on the South African media online and tried to post it to the FOTR forum but my internet connection here in southern Sudan was really playing up yesterday so in the end I gave up.

[John Ashworth]

The Sudanese internet is flying this morning, so here it is:

Family hurt in miniature train accident

iol.co.za
Own Correspondent
January 05 2009 at 01:51PM


A family of holidaymakers was injured at Sun City on Saturday when a coach on a miniature train they were riding on derailed.

Five people were transported to hospital in Rustenburg, one in a serious condition, after the third coach of a fun ride miniature train operated by Sun City Waterworld came off its tracks.

Yasmeen Ebrahim spent the night in hospital, but was discharged on Sunday.

Her brother, Yunus Yacoob, said: "We were having a jolly ride, and the next thing, we were all on the ground.

"We all had bruises and were battered, but my sister hurt her pelvis. My eight-month pregnant wife was also injured."

Yacoob said he was not happy with the treatment his family initially received from staff at Sun City.

He said when they arrived at the hospital, they had to pay upfront before being admitted.

"Only after the media started asking questions did we get the help that we needed," he said.

But Sun International spokesperson Sue Klerck said Sun City had been supportive from the beginning.

"The train has been stopped and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the derailment," she added.

[Steve Appleton]

Like the Metrorail crossing accident it is always amazing how the public think they are being mistreated and blame everyone but themselves. In this case, according to the report, they are blaming Sun City for having to pay fees at the hospital. As every resident in SA knows, private hospitals will only administer emergency life-threatening stabilisation without being paid upfront or being guaranteed payment by insurance or medical aid. For free (or low cost) treatment one has to go to a state or provincial hospital. That applies, no matter who or what caused the injury, which is one reason why medical aid or medical insurance is pretty much essential in SA. I guess Sun City could have made a gesture and paid the hospital, but that could have legal consequences like admitting blame and liability, not to mention possibly taking responsibility for the choice of treatment and its outcome.