Coal train derails in Argentina's Santa Cruz province, sabotage probe sought
A locomotive and three wagons left the track on Wednesday on the route from Rio Turbio to Punta Loyola in Argentina's Santa Cruz province, and the state-owned coal company YCRT has asked the courts to examine possible sabotage.
The derailment
On Wednesday a train carrying coal from the mining town of Rio Turbio to the port of Punta Loyola on the Atlantic coast left the track in Santa Cruz province, southern Argentina. The locomotive and three wagons derailed, and the train was carrying about 600 tonnes of coal. The locomotive was the only one owned by the state-owned Yacimiento Carbonifero Rio Turbio (YCRT), which owns both the train and its cargo. Provincial officials said the workers aboard the locomotive are out of danger.
- Section of track checked, no irregularities found
- Locomotive and three wagons leave the track
Possible sabotage
Governor Claudio Vidal said a metal object had been found on the track and could have contributed to the derailment. A section of that route had been inspected several days earlier, and no irregularities were found. Vidal said that at this stage no hypothesis can be excluded. Investigators must establish how the object came to be on the tracks, what role it played in the derailment, and whether the event was deliberate.
A train carrying close to 600 tonnes of coal derailed after, according to the driver himself, the track opened in a section that had been checked a few days earlier.
The company and its contracts
YCRT asked the courts to investigate whether the incident was caused on purpose after the metal object was found on the track in a hard-to-reach spot. The company's interventor, Pablo Gordillo Arriagada, described the filing.
We have filed a criminal complaint in federal court, requesting an expert examination. And we have attached evidence and reports on the condition of the track and the locomotive.
The derailed locomotive was the only one the company had in operation to meet its contractual commitments, so its removal from service directly affects operations. The provincial government said YCRT is rebuilding production and holds a contract to sell 210,000 tonnes of coal.
Provincial response
The provincial government described the timing as a key moment for the company, which is advancing in its productive recovery. Vidal called YCRT strategic for the economy of the province and warned those obstructing it.
If anyone wants to hinder the recovery of YCRT, they must know that Santa Cruz will defend its coal, its workers and its production.
The provincial government also said the episode goes beyond material damage, since placing an obstacle on the tracks puts workers' lives at risk and directly affects production. The causes of the derailment have not yet been established, and the possibility of sabotage remains under investigation.
