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AUSTRALIA-MINING-BHP-TRAIN-TRANSPORT
Runaway mining train travels 90 km without driver
SYDNEY, Nov 7, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A huge runaway train laden with iron ore
had to be derailed remotely after speeding through the Australian outback for
almost an hour.
The 268-wagon train started on its solo journey when the driver got down
from his cab to carry out an inspection, and was soon hurtling along at up to
110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour.
Mining giant BHP, which owns the four-locomotive train, decided to derail
before it reached the town of Port Hedland near its Western Australia Pilbara
site, and flicked the points.
The train crashed off the rails, damaging around 1,500 metres (1,600
yards) of tracks, but hurting no one.
Aerial images published by The West Australian showed a trail of twisted
wreckage after Monday’s incident, with some wagons covered by their loads.
Australia is one of the world’s major sources of iron ore.
BHP said Wednesday more than 130 people were working to recover the train
and fix the track — a key access route for the enormous mining facility —
with partial rail operations expected to start up again in about a week.
The mine sites were still running and reserves would be used to maintain
port operations, “however they are not expected to cover the entire period of
interruption”, a BHP spokeswoman said in a statement.
“We will be liaising with our customers in relation to our contractual
commitments over this period,” she added.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said it was investigating the
incident. There was no indication of what had caused the train to move
without its driver.
“We cannot speculate on the outcome of the investigation however we are
working with the appropriate authorities and our focus remains on the safe
recovery of our operations,” the BHP spokeswoman said.
BHP’s shares closed 0.48 percent lower to Aus$33.39 (US$24.18) in Sydney
Wednesday as reports in Britain said the Anglo-Australian firm was facing a
o5 billion (US$6.5 billion) lawsuit over the deadly Samarco dam failure in
Brazil in 2015.
BHP is also facing an Australian class action involving investors pursuing
the miner for losses relating to the collapse.
Nineteen people were killed and a wave of toxic waste was unleashed when a
dam burst at the mine in one of Brazil’s worst environmental disasters.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1347 hrs