11 Mar 2020

Botswana Railways (BR) instructor/assessor, Mr David Seima, says there was no sight of water on the railway track where a passenger train derailed near Palla Road in December last year.

Giving evidence for the second time before a board of inquiry on the accident that claimed two BR employees’ lives, Mr Seima, who was at the time assessing a trainee engineman, Ms Doreen Motsewetsho, said they only observed a body of water at the Palla Road level crossing, which was approximately a kilometre before the derailment spot.

“I saw water just when we approached the level crossing that leads into Palla Road from Mahalapye side, and the culvert just after the level crossing. My reaction to that was to actually confirm that the learner driver was equally in control by advising her to be cautious,” he said in Lobatse on March 10.

Mr Seima said he had no doubt that the trainee was in control of the situation because she applied the brakes to reduce speed when she saw water at the level crossing.

He said he did not ask the trainee to stop the train because the water was just on the sides of the railway line and not posing any danger.

“Usually there is water at that area. The water had gone up but it didn’t actually threaten the railway line. After passing that track, it became very clear, there was no water,” Mr Seima said.

He said some moments afterwards, he and the trainee a saw an open formation (damaged track) on the railway line. He said he then realised that the train was going to derail and stopped the trainee from applying the emergency brakes.

“I cannot necessarily confirm the distance, but it was very close and I was quite certain that we were going to derail. So when she (trainee) closed power and attempted to put the emergency, I stopped her because technically I thought it was going to be more detrimental to the passengers. My concern was the passengers that we were carrying,” he said.    

Mr Seima said the application of emergency brakes was going to cause more disaster. 

He said the locomotive was going to dip with brakes on and cause the wagons containing passengers to fly over it.

Giving evidence on the same day, the 27-year-old trainee Ms Motsewetsho, also denied seeing water on the railway track. She said she only saw water at the culvert near the level crossing. 

She said she did not see any further water afterwards before the train derailed, but saw a damaged track a few metres in front of the locomotive. 

She confirmed that the head lights were working properly and she was attentive at the time. Ends