Nova Iguaçu level crossing disaster

This article is about the level crossing crash of 1951. For the rail accident of 2007 which also happened in Nova Iguaçu, see 2007 Rio de Janeiro train crash.

The Nova Iguaçu level crossing disaster occurred on June 7, 1951, at 4:25 a.m. when an electric train struck a gasoline truck on a level crossing near Nova Iguacu, twenty miles north of Rio de Janeiro, killing 54 people.

Nova Iguaçu level crossing disaster
Details
Date	June 7, 1951 4:25 a.m.
Location	Nova Iguaçu
Country	Brazil
Operator	Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil
Incident type	Level crossing collision
Cause	stalled vehicle
Statistics
Trains	1
Deaths	54
Injured	44

The Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil company's train was travelling from Belém, and its five steel cars were full of early morning commuters heading for Rio. The truck, which carried 4,500 gallons of gasoline, had stalled on the level crossing. When the train struck the tanker exploded; many of the passengers were burnt alive; some were still sitting in their seats, while others piled up by the doors. In all 54 people were killed and 44 more injured.

Sources

• Railway Wrecks by Edgar A. Haine, page 146, publ 1993, ISBN 0-8453-4844-2

See also

• Train wreck

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