The Green Screen

HAVANA (Reuters) - A train slammed into a bus in southeastern Cuba on Saturday, killing at least 28 people and injuring 73 others in one of the deadliest such crashes in years, Cuban state television reported.

Railway sources told Reuters that the train dragged the bus until it fell over a bridge.

The train traveling from Cuba's second city Santiago to Manzanillo collided with the bus at a level crossing in Yara, in Granma province about 500 miles southeast of Havana.

At least 15 people were in critical condition in nearby hospitals, according to a government statement read on the nightly newscast, which showed images of a derailed train.

Authorities were investigating what might have caused the daylight accident, it said.

Level crossings in rural Cuba often have no signs. Scarce buses are crowded and Cubans frequently travel long distances in the back of trucks.

Saturday's collision was the worst road accident in Cuba since a truck overturned in June in eastern Cuba, killing 11 people and injuring 50.

It is tragic that such an accident would happen in Cuba, on usually flat terrain, simply due to negligence and probably poor equipment (the train, in particular). No doubt, this could have been prevented with regular train maintenance.

Without knowing much, I would bet that it was the bus's fault (trains just go and can't stop very easy), unless the train derailed

Yea,

It's usually the non-train driver who is at fault. Taking chances, not-looking/paying attention, getting put into compromising positions by the traffic flow, etc........but rarely can even a well maintained train at speed stop to avoid an accident. Usually by the time they can see that there is a problem, it's too late to avoid it.

I hear that the bus driver is under guard - though whether that is to prevent him from fleeing, or to protect him from angry relatives.