Pretoria - Three passengers were critically injured when a luxury Rovos Rail train derailed near Pretoria on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the company said.
At least 32 other passengers were injured and taken to hospital, Netcare 911's Chris Botha said. They suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Rovos Rail's marketing manager, David Patrick, said the cause of the derailment was not yet known, but would be investigated.
"We don't know much yet," Patrick said.
"We had an incoming train from Cape Town to Pretoria, and it derailed between Centurion and the Pretoria (railway) station".
Investigation
Patrick said the company was part of the National Rail Network and an independent investigation would be launched in conjunction with Spoornet.
Earlier Botha said the whole train had derailed and that coaches were piled on top of each other.
Holes were cut in the roofs of the coaches to free trapped passengers.
Rovos Rail personnel were also at the scene, helping with the rescue effort. There were also several ambulances and emergency services from Pretoria.
The train had apparently been carrying 55 passengers when it derailed.
Rovos Rail was established in 1989 and offered "unique train safaris through the heart of Africa", according to its website. The company runs two trains with a passenger capacity of 72 each.
- SAPA
News24
