Agencies/Rio de Janeiro

Authorities of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro yesterday launched a probe into a train crash that injured at least 229 people the day before.
The incident occurred late Monday, when a train travelling to the suburban area of Baixada Fluminense crashed into another train that had stopped at Mesquita station.
Rescue authorities said most of those hurt had suffered minor injuries, including cuts and bruises.
The injured were taken to four major hospitals and there is an emergency unit providing support at the scene.
The army was summoned to assist rescue operations.
“My head and back are injured. I’m in great pain,” 53-year-old passenger Ana Claudia Pereira da Silva de Oliveira told oGlobo channel, adding that there was panic, and screaming when the train lights went out.
“A lot of people lost bags and mobile phones,” she added.
“There were people with cuts and bleeding mouths. It was a war scene. There was a lot of smoke, and people thought the train was going to explode,” Thiago Portela, 28, said.
The collision could have been more serious, but the trains were moving slowly due to bad weather conditions in the region.
“It is an extremely serious accident and an unacceptable mistake. It cannot happen. We will launch an independent probe into what happened,” said Rio state’s Transport Minister Carlos Roberto Osorio.
Despite admitting that both trains involved in the crash were old models, Osorio said that both been inspected recently, adding that the accident is unlikely to have been caused by technical errors.
Rio’s Supervia train service is the target of regular criticism from users who deride its often dilapidated infrastructure while its carriages do not have air conditioning even in the stifling heat of a Southern Hemisphere summer.
Around 620,000 people use the service daily as they commute in and out of Rio from outlying suburbs.
The region’s railway service was suspended for close to 10 hours due to the accident.