Turenne railway accident
In the Turenne railway accident on September 14, 1932, a train crashed into a ravine near Sabra (then: Turenne ), Algeria . 120 people died.
Starting position
A military transport train carried 520 members of the Foreign Legion from Sidi bel Abbès to Tlemcen in 33 wagons . The route leads through very mountainous terrain. It had rained heavily.
the accident
The rain had softened the embankment. When the train crossed a track curve 72 meters above a gorge, it gave way. The locomotive and 32 cars crashed into the gorge. Only the train's escort car remained on the track.
consequences
120 people died, 150 were also injured. A shepherd witnessed the accident and walked four kilometers through rough terrain to Turenne to raise the alarm. The rescue work turned out to be very difficult because heavy equipment was not available, a hot sirocco had been used and the accident site could only be reached via the railway line.
literature
- Peter WB Semmens: Disasters on the rails. A worldwide documentation. Transpress, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-344-71030-3 .