Piquet Carneiro train crash
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| Piquet Carneiro train crash | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | December 17, 1951 |
| Location | Piquet Carneiro |
| Country | Brazil |
| Line | Fortaleza - Crato[1] |
| Operator | Rede Ferroviária do Nordeste |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Excess speed |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 53 |
The Piquet Carneiro train crash, occurred on the December 17, 1951 at Piquet Carneiro in the state of Ceará in northeast Brazil and left 53 dead[2] (some sources 'around 100'[3]).
The diesel train had left Crato the previous day, spending the night at Iguatu which it left at 5 a.m. The train derailed due to 'excessive speed'[4] later that morning near Piquet Carneiro station. Many were trapped in the wreckage; the local medical staff were overwhelmed and a shortage of equipment meant that carpenters saws were used to perform amputations without anaesthetic to free them.[3][4]
A monument to the victims of the disaster was erected at the scene of the accident by the local church with the support of the town authorities; it was restored in 2009.[3][5]