CANELANDS, KwaZulu-Natal – A man was left with multiple injuries after being struck by a train and trapped beneath it for several hours at Canelands in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday night, 24 October.

According to a statement by Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the emergency response organisation received a request for assistance at 22:56. Reaction officers arrived to find a private train operated by a luxury railway company stopped on the railway line with a man pinned beneath it. The train was reportedly transporting tourists, although this could not be confirmed.

The injured man was still breathing when reaction officers reached the scene. He had apparently sustained several visible injuries, including suspected fractures to his leg, shoulder and other parts of his body. His full condition could not be assessed whilst he remained trapped beneath the train.

According to the train crew, the driver saw the man sitting on the tracks as the train approached. The driver reportedly sounded the horn repeatedly in an attempt to warn him, but he did not move. The train could not be brought to a stop before the collision due to the short distance.

The crew subsequently discovered the man trapped beneath the train. According to their account, he remained in that position for several hours before Fire and Rescue personnel managed to free him.

He was subsequently transported to hospital for further medical treatment. His identity had not been established at the time of the report.

ALSO READ: Alleged cable thief dies as he tries to escape