What's+The+Plan+Stan

This term we have started to do disasters.

Disaster: Wahine Disaster

On the morning of the 10th of april ¡ª§•

My Disaster is: Tangiwai Disaster

__The Tangiwai Disaster__ 

Christmas eve has been a tragic day with No warning that the Whanganui river would be in flood when the Wellington-to-Auckland express train was due to cross the rail bridge at tangiwai. When part of the wall holding the crater lake of Mount Ruapehu had collapsed and a huge flood of water, silt known as lahar, flowed down the mountain carrying uprooted trees, rocks and ice into the Whanganui river. Cyril Elis from Taihape was forced to stop his car as he could see the light of the train and he waved a torche to try warn the driver, Once the train came closer the train conductor could tell something was wrong but it was to late and the train hit the weakened bridge and the nose of the train plunged into the water the first five carriages followed behind leaving the sixth carriage hanging off the edge of the bridge Cyril climbed into the train and moved the passages to the carriage behind almost at once the carriage broke free and plunged into the water. Just a few minutes after the crash the Waiouora Military Camp provided man power as well as transport and shelter for the people in the accident and those in the recuse mission. The river subsided markedly within 45 minutes, the intal rescue had to carried out in the darkness an was an extremely dangerous task the rescue operation soon turned into a body recovery operation. When day broke it reveled a scene of utter devastation. The river and the surrounding area resembled a muddy estuary at low tide. Twisted and splintered carriages lay everywhere.