Train-bus collision in Cuba kills 28

Havana, Oct 7: A train slammed into a bus in southeastern Cuba killing at least 28 people and injuring 73 others in one of the deadliest such crashes in years, Cuban state television reported.

Railway sources told Reuters yesterday that the train dragged the bus until it fell over a bridge.

The train traveling from Cuba's second city Santiago to Manzanillo collided with the bus at a level crossing in Yara, in Granma province about 500 miles southeast of Havana.

At least 15 people were in critical condition in nearby hospitals, according to a government statement read on the nightly newscast, which showed images of a derailed train.

Authorities were investigating what might have caused the daylight accident, it said.

Level crossings in rural Cuba often have no signs. Scarce buses are crowded and Cubans frequently travel long distances in the back of trucks.

Yesterday's collision was the worst road accident in Cuba since a truck overturned in June in eastern Cuba, killing 11 people and injuring 50.

Reuters
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