Guadalajara Railway Accident (1915)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the Guadalajara railway accident on January 22, 1915 , a completely overstaffed passenger train got out of control, derailed and fell into a ravine off Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco , Mexico . More than 600 people died.

Starting position

In the course of the Mexican Revolution , troops of the revolutionary leader and President Venustiano Carranza conquered the city of Guadalajara on January 18, 1915 . He immediately ordered that the families of his troops should be brought from Colima to Guadalajara via the Colima – Guadalajara railway line . A special train was put together for this purpose, which in addition to the locomotive consisted of 20 cars . The train was completely overstaffed with 900 passengers , some of whom also traveled on the car roofs and running boards.

the accident

On a downward slope, the engine driver lost control of the train, which was accelerating. The first people fell from the train while driving at excessive speed through curves. Eventually the train derailed in a curve and fell into a ravine. Of the 900 travelers, fewer than 300 survived.

literature

  • Edgar A. Haine: Railroad Wrecks . Cornwall Books, New York 1993, ISBN 0-8453-4844-2 . P. 175.

Web links