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AP-Over 30 Said Hurt in Myanmar Cra



Subject: AP-Over 30 Said Hurt in Myanmar Crash

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Wednesday, December 22 7:41 PM SGT=20
Over 30 Said Hurt in Myanmar Crash

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Two passenger trains collided outside Myanmar's =
capital, knocking carriages off the rails and injuring more than 30 =
people, officials and witnesses said today.=20

The Friday accident went unreported in Myanmar's tightly controlled =
media and the cause and details are unclear. A government official, =
speaking on condition of anonymity, said 10 people were only slightly =
injured.=20

But a railways official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said =
that 33 people were hurt, none fatally. Other witness reports said that =
five or more passengers died, but they could not be confirmed.=20

The railways official said the accident happened Friday afternoon at =
Toegyaung Galay, 7 miles northeast of downtown Yangon.=20

A local train from Bago, 40 miles northeast of Yangon, rammed at high =
speed into the overnight express bound from the capital to the northern =
city of Mandalay, the official said. The government spokesman said the =
express was waiting for a signal to change when it was rammed from =
behind, causing several cars to derail.=20

Local people saw ambulances ferrying injured passengers to the nearby =
Thingankyun General Hospital, where doctors said seven people were =
hospitalized after the crash.=20

A train passenger estimated that around five people had died, while a =
fireman who helped in the rescue operation put the figure higher. They =
did not wish to give their names, fearing problems with authorities.=20

On Tuesday, the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper showed Pan Aung, =
the railways minister, inspecting Bago train station the day after the =
crash and ``giving instructions.'' It did not mention the accident.=20

The military regime severely restricts the free flow of information in =
Myanmar, also known as Burma. News perceived as negative, such as =
natural disasters and accidents, is usually suppressed.=20

Myanmar railways, largely reliant on aging rolling stock running on =
rails laid during the British colonial era, which ended over 50 years =
ago, has suffered a number of fatal train accidents in the past.=20

In December 1994, more than 100 people were killed when a passenger =
train traveling from extreme northern Kachin State to Mandalay plunged =
into a ravine after brakes failed.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday, December 22</B> 7:41 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Over 30 Said Hurt in Myanmar Crash</FONT></H2>
<P><I></I>
<P>YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Two passenger trains collided outside =
Myanmar's=20
capital, knocking carriages off the rails and injuring more than 30 =
people,=20
officials and witnesses said today.=20
<P>The Friday accident went unreported in Myanmar's tightly controlled =
media and=20
the cause and details are unclear. A government official, speaking on =
condition=20
of anonymity, said 10 people were only slightly injured.=20
<P>But a railways official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, =
said that=20
33 people were hurt, none fatally. Other witness reports said that five =
or more=20
passengers died, but they could not be confirmed.=20
<P>The railways official said the accident happened Friday afternoon at=20
Toegyaung Galay, 7 miles northeast of downtown Yangon.=20
<P>A local train from Bago, 40 miles northeast of Yangon, rammed at high =
speed=20
into the overnight express bound from the capital to the northern city =
of=20
Mandalay, the official said. The government spokesman said the express =
was=20
waiting for a signal to change when it was rammed from behind, causing =
several=20
cars to derail.=20
<P>Local people saw ambulances ferrying injured passengers to the nearby =

Thingankyun General Hospital, where doctors said seven people were =
hospitalized=20
after the crash.=20
<P>A train passenger estimated that around five people had died, while a =
fireman=20
who helped in the rescue operation put the figure higher. They did not =
wish to=20
give their names, fearing problems with authorities.=20
<P>On Tuesday, the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper showed Pan =
Aung, the=20
railways minister, inspecting Bago train station the day after the crash =
and=20
``giving instructions.'' It did not mention the accident.=20
<P>The military regime severely restricts the free flow of information =
in=20
Myanmar, also known as Burma. News perceived as negative, such as =
natural=20
disasters and accidents, is usually suppressed.=20
<P>Myanmar railways, largely reliant on aging rolling stock running on =
rails=20
laid during the British colonial era, which ended over 50 years ago, has =

suffered a number of fatal train accidents in the past.=20
<P>In December 1994, more than 100 people were killed when a passenger =
train=20
traveling from extreme northern Kachin State to Mandalay plunged into a =
ravine=20
after brakes failed. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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