Mechanic Of Derailed Train in E Romania Admits Negligence, Will Be Sacked

Transport Ministry sub-secretary of state Constantin Axinia told MEDIAFAX Monday that the mechanic admitted he wasn't paying attention and ran a red light, which caused a train car to jump off the track, and he will be fired for negligence.

Axinia added the transport minister will issue an order soon to test the professional abilities of all railroad employees with management and passenger safety attributions.

The third car of the fast passenger train travelling from capital city Bucharest to northeastern city of Iasi derailed Sunday afternoon around 5 p.m. in Galati county, without injuring anyone. The train had left Bucharest at noon and was supposed to reach Iasi at 7 p.m..

Five other passenger trains registered delays following the incident.

Head of the Railway Transport Police Galati, Petrica Hahui, said Monday morning the mechanic didn't observe the light signal when exiting the locality Beheci, and then tried to back up as another passenger train was coming from the opposite direction, on the same track.

"Florin Mustata, the mechanic of the locomotive, didn't observe the red light at the exit of Berheci train station. He then saw a passenger train coming from the opposite direction and stopped and tried to back up. The train derailed during the reverse maneuver," said Hahui.

This is the third train to have derailed in Romania in the past week, as eight cars of a passenger train went off track last Monday, September 21, in southern Romania, and a freight train carrying oil products overturned in northwestern Romania.

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