The five-hour train derailment drill recently hosted in the City of Tshwane to prepare authorities for possible disaster has been hailed as a success.
Participants at the simulated exercise were from organisations such as the Tshwane Emergency Services Department, Gauteng provincial Disaster Management Centre, Transnet Freight Rail, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, SAPS, Gauteng government Emergency Medical Services and the national Department of Environmental Affairs.
They took part in a hands-on simulation exercise of a train derailment incident in Eersterust near the Transnet Waltloo depot.
On the day, the Stormvoël Road and other streets feeding it were affected and closed between Petroleum Street and Boundary Drive.
The joint simulation exercise was aimed at testing the state of readiness and preparedness of emergency response systems and responders of the various entities.
It was also aimed at testing and improving measures that are put in place to protect the community from health hazards and risks associated with such major incidents.
MMC for Community Safety, Grandi Theunissen, commended the “outstanding efforts of the Emergency Services Department for their exemplary performance” in the train derailment simulation.
“I am proud of their unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents,” he said.
During the simulation, a dangerous goods train carrying petrol being pulled by two locomotive diesel engines derailed when it collided with a perway truck that was working on-site.
Theunissen said the Tshwane emergency services department worked together with other role-players from the different agencies and handled the complex situation with professionalism and efficiency.
“A similar simulation was conducted in the City of Ekurhuleni and the next similar simulation will be conducted in the City of Johannesburg in the coming month,” he said.
He explained that the simulation was a critical test of the City’s state of readiness and the preparedness of emergency response systems and the responders from the various entities in case of a major rail incident.
“The exercise additionally tested and improved measures to protect the community from health hazards and the risks associated with major incidents,” Theunissen said.
Pretoria News