- The La Trochita train derailed on Saturday in Rio Negro province, Argentina
A British man is fighting for his life after a vintage steam train carrying dozens of tourists derailed while crossing an Argentine mountain range.
La Trochita, an emblematic tourist train known in English as the Old Patagonian Express, derailed on Saturday while carrying 53 people in Rio Negro province.
Among the tourists, who were mostly American, four were injured and were taken to various hospitals in the region.
A British man was taken to a hospital in Ingeniero Jacobacci where he was initially treated for minor bruises and bruises. He was then transferred to Bariloche Zonal Hospital to undergo CT scans.
But on Sunday morning the local authorities arrived reported his condition had deteriorated. The unnamed man was admitted to the intensive care unit due to a cardiac arrhythmia, where a cardiac evaluation was performed. No new reports have been submitted to date.
The historic La Trochita derailed on Saturday in Rio Negro province with 53 people on board
A British man was taken to hospital in the town of Ingeniero Jacobacci where he was initially treated for minor bruises and bruises
But on Sunday morning, local authorities reported that his health condition was deteriorating
The accident took place just under six kilometers from Río Chico. The train had 53 foreign passengers on board at the time who were referred to various health centers in El Maitén and Ingeniero Jacobacci.
According to local sourcesThe accident was the result of the collapse of the tracks in the terrain, although the official cause is still unknown.
Normally La Trochita offers a service between Ingeniero Jacobacci and Ojos de Agua station, where the train usually arrives at 1:15 PM. But foreign tourists had rented a special route to Ñorquinco, 160 kilometers from the departure station.
The formation derailed between Mamuel Choique and Río Chico, in the heart of the Rio Negro steppe, a region that today experiences a large temperature drop and strong winds.
On the tourist route, a group of guides tell the history of the train, and there is usually a musician touring the carriages, one of which has a small cafeteria.
According to local news sourcesThis is not the first time the service has had an accident.
At the beginning of September last year, another service the company provides between the cities of Viedma and Bariloche was derailed.
A few kilometers after arriving in Bariloche, the formation derailed near the Perito Moreno station. At that time there were no serious injuries, although all passengers had to be evacuated and taken to this city by van.
The service was suspended for 15 days while a reconditioning of the route between Pilcaniyeu and Bariloche was carried out.