Multiple freight train containers leave tracks in regional Victorian crash
Flood-damaged tracks have been cited as the possible cause of a major derailment near Geelong in Victoria, as dramatic footage shows shipping containers strewn across the chaotic crash site
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A train has derailed after a month of wild weather and widespread flooding is thought to have damaged rail tracks in Victoria.
Dramatic photos of the scene at Inverleigh, about 90km southwest of Melbourne, reveal the extent of the damage, with more than 20 shipping containers strewn across paddocks next to the tracks.
About 10 carriages are believed to have derailed at 5.30am on November 14, leaving shipping containers piled on top of each other in the chaotic crash scene, near the regional city of Geelong.
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Golden Plains Shire Mayor Gavin Gamble said he believed the “very intense” rainfall had caused part of the track to collapse.
A State Emergency Services (SES) spokesman confirmed the train tracks were damaged but said the cause was not yet known. Investigations will determine whether the damage occurred before or after the freight* train derailed.
Pictures from the scene appeared to show buckled* train tracks as water seeped underneath the rail lines.
The shipping containers were sprawled in the mud, with serious structural damage visible to a number of the metal frames. One container was broken open by the impact.
Authorities confirmed there were no passengers on board the freight train and the driver was uninjured.
Emergency services said there were also no dangerous goods on board the train.
Investigators were at the site trying to determine the cause of the accident, which closed the Melbourne to Adelaide rail corridor. It is not known how long the corridor will be closed.
An Australian Rail Track Corporation spokesman said more details would be provided once an assessment of the area was complete.
The Bureau* of Meteorology* said Inverleigh recorded about 27mm of rain during wild weather last weekend – on top of previous flooding. Nearby Mt Mercer recorded 48mm of rain.
The train derailment came as households across Victoria reported blackouts* after the weekend deluge*, which also caused flash flooding* that closed roads.
The SES said it received more than 400 requests for help in 24 hours as floodwaters rose again in already-saturated regions.
GLOSSARY
- freight: cargo, goods transported by train, plane, truck or ship
- buckled: bent as a result of some force, heat or weakness
- bureau: department of government or a division that performs a particular job
- meteorology: science of the atmosphere, especially weather and forecasting
- blackout: sudden loss of electricity in a suburb, town or region
- deluge: severe flood, extreme downpour
- flash flooding: sudden and severe flood
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QUICK QUIZ
- How many shipping containers were left strewn across paddocks beside the tracks?
- How many carriages are believed to have derailed?
- How many people were aboard the train at the time of the derailment?
- What is Mayor Gamble’s theory for the cause of the crash?
- The crash closed the rail corridor between which two capital cities?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Train derailment
If the train that derailed was a passenger train instead of a freight train, this could’ve been a disaster of major proportions with the possible loss of many lives. With the wild weather and flooding affecting much of Victoria and NSW, what checks should be done to ensure all the railway tracks are stable and safe?
Should trains still be running across Victoria until some of these checks are done?
Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Humanities; Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
What have you heard about in the media and from adults about the current floods across different states?
Have any floods affected you and your family?
What questions do you have about the flood crisis?
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Humanities; Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
Wild weather
The weather gods have gone a little crazy lately and have been playing havoc with our weather system, with hot temperatures one day and flooding the next. Imagine if there really were weather gods controlling the weather and many other things across Earth. Create a narrative story map about why the weather might be going a bit nuts. Is there a family argument in the heavens, or someone throwing a tantrum? Maybe someone is playing a trick or has run away and is not doing their job properly.
Think about what might happen in your story as the weather chaos continues.
If you would like to write out your story, feel free, but you only need to focus on a planner today to practise getting your ideas down on paper.
Who is the main character?
Who is the villain?
What’s the problem?
What will happen if it gets better?
And bigger?
How will the main character solve the problem?