Table of Contents
When did the Tangiwai train leave?
On 24 December – Christmas Eve – 1953, the Wellington-to-Auckland express train derailed at Tangiwai in the central North Island.
How many people died at Tangiwai?
151
Tangiwai disaster/Number of deaths
What caused the train to crash at Tangiwai?
The cause of the tragedy was a volcanic lahar from the Mt Ruapehu crater lake, which sent a huge wave of water, silt, boulders and debris surging down the Whangaehu River minutes before the express approached the bridge at Tangiwai.
Who survived the Tangiwai disaster?
At Tangiwai, just 28 of the more than 170 second-class passengers survived. Only one first-class passenger was lost, along with the driver and fireman.
What year was the Wahine disaster?
April 10, 1968
TEV Wahine/Start dates
How many were injured in the Tangiwai disaster?
The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, 8 km west of Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning, and stunned the world.
When did the Wahine sink in Wellington Harbour?
10 April 1968
Tragedy in Wellington Harbour The sinking of the Lyttelton–Wellington ferry Wahine on 10 April 1968 was New Zealand’s worst modern maritime disaster.
When did the train crash at Tangiwai happen?
The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 22:21 on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train No. 626 at Tangiwai, in the central North Island of New Zealand. The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people.
When did the Tangiwai bridge collapse in New Zealand?
Tangiwai disaster. The Tangiwai disaster occurred at 22:21 on 24 December 1953 when the Whangaehu River bridge collapsed beneath Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train No. 626 at Tangiwai, in the central North Island of New Zealand.
What was the number plate on the Tangiwai train?
Tangiwai Memorial, showing the replica of the number plate of the train’s locomotive, K A 949. After the train crashed, Ellis informed the train’s guard, William Inglis, of what had happened and the two entered the sixth carriage, then still balanced precariously on the bridge’s edge, in an attempt to save passengers.
What did New Zealand do after the Tangiwai disaster?
Following the disaster, the New Zealand Railways Department installed a lahar warning system upstream in the river to alert train control to high river flows.