At least four cars on a passenger train caught fire Tuesday morning, trapping passengers inside and hurting at least 76 people. Five people were evacuated in moderate condition and the rest are described a being lightly hurt. The moderately injured passengers suffer from burns, smoke inhalation and cuts they suffered from glass while clambering out the train windows. The casualties were evacuated to Laniado Hospital in Netanya, Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva and Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. The train was traveling from north to south on the Haifa-Tel Aviv tracks. Near Shefayim, opposite the Ronit Farm, the rear engine car caught fire, possibly due to an electrical malfunction. The fire spread to passenger cars and passengers shouted to the train driver to stop the train. The train ground to a halt but emergency system that was supposed to throw open the train's doors failed to operate, and the passengers were trapped. The windows in the cars are supposed to be broken in case of an emergency, but the emergency hammers for breaking them were all gone. It remained to a Border Guard policeman to solve the problem by loading his weapon and firing at the windows to break them and allow people to get out. Photos: Flash 90
