40 injured in Brazil subway crash 

SAO PAULO, May 17 – Some 40 passengers were injured Wednesday whentwo subway trains collided here in the city, Sao Paulo’s Fire Department said. The collision occurred at 10 am local time (1300 GMT) between the stations of Vila Carrao and Penha on Line 3 of Sao Paulo’s underground transportation network, Xinhua news agency reported.

The trains collided along a segment of the track that runs above ground, allowing most of the passengers to exit the cars without the help of rescue workers. Two injured passengers in serious condition were taken to hospital but most had only minor cuts and bruises, the fire department said.

Fire Department Captain Ricardo Peixoto said no immediate fatalities had occured as both trains were advancing at a fairly low speed when they crashed. Further investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. About a million commuters travel on Line 3 every day, an east-west link with 18 stops and is one of the network’s most heavily used lines.

- BERNAMA