Metrorail has blamed signalling cable theft after two passenger trains collided in Elandsfontein, east of Johannesburg, on Thursday morning, leaving one person dead and scores injured.

Paramedic services ER24 said a man had died and around 50 people were injured in the accident which saw a number of carriages leaning to the side.

Metrorail confirmed that a side train collision between the two trains, T0601 and 1817, had occurred at Elandsfontein at around 06:25am. Train T0601 was from Pretoria enroute to Johannesburg and T1817 was an empty train enroute to Leralla from the yard.

Gauteng Metrorail acting provincial manager, Goodman Matampi, said that, at the time of the accident, the trains were being manually authorised between Olifantsfontein and Elandsfontein due to theft of signalling power cables that occurred in the early hours of Thursday.

Matampi said overhead power on all four lines was off from Germiston to Kempton Park. As a result, trains that were supposed to run in the affected sections would remain stationery until the technical team on the ground declared a safe alternative line.

“One hundred and two commuters are reportedly injured and taken to the OR Tambo Memorial, Tembisa, Arwyp, Edenvale, Rose Acres, Zamokuhle and Germiston Hospitals. The hospitals are currently giving medical care and treatment to the injured commuters,” Matampi said.

“One male sadly suffered fatal injuries who was inside an empty train. We are investigating the reasons why he was on board a train that was not in service.”

Matampi said Metrorail Gauteng sincerely regretted the loss of life and conveyed sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.

An interim train arrangement had been put in place. Trains from Pretoria were now turning at Kaalfontein, while buses were being used between Kaalfontein and Germiston. From Johannesburg, trains were turning at Germiston, and a shuttle train service was currently running between Leralla and Kaalfontein.

Matampi said Metrorail has appointed a technical team to investigate the cause of the collision.