MANILA, Philippines - A Philippine National Railway train bound for Manila was derailed yesterday morning in Muntinlupa City as extreme heat caused the tracks to expand, a PNR official said.
Superintendent Porfirio Calagan, officer-in-charge of the Muntinlupa police, said the train was approaching San Simon Compound about 10 a.m. when the train wheels were detached from the track.
None of 100 passengers were hurt, PNR general manager Junio Ragrario said in a phone interview with The STAR.
“The tracks expanded because of the heat. Extreme heat was the culprit. The rail became distorted, causing the wheels to detach,” Ragrario said.
Over the past few days, the weather has surpassed 36 degrees Celsius.
Ragrario explained that rails can become distorted and cause derailment as they usually expand in hot weather or shrink when cold. To prevent this, the PNR places clippers around the track.
“However, more than 100 clips have been stolen here,” Ragrario said, adding that they have installed replacements but “these are not enough.”
Ragrario said the PNR has warned drivers to slow down because they have seen the tracks expand as early as 6 a.m. At that time, however, the rails were still passable.
About 20 meters of track were replaced yesterday in repairs that lasted more than an hour. In a separate interview, an operator from the PNR said the track was “temporarily passable” as of 3:50 p.m.