CDMX Prosecutor’s Office does not rule out sabotage in an accident on Line 3 of the Metro

Cable cutting and mismanagement of the convoy caused an accident on Metro Line 3: CDMX Prosecutor’s Office. Photo: FGJCDMX

The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office reported that the accident involving two Metro trains at the Potrero station on Line 3 was due to malicious cable cutting and mishandling by the convoy driver, actions that could lead to the crime of sabotage.

Two weeks later, 7 people continue to be hospitalized due to an accident on Line 3 of the CDMX metro

The incident recorded one fatality and dozens of injuries, of which some remain to recover; the facts are investigated by the capital’s Prosecutor’s Office even without an opinion on what happened

At a press conference, the spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office, Ulises Lara, assured that the accident, in which a young woman died and 106 were injured, was due to “the intentional burning and cutting of the cables located in two connection registers that contain wiring electrical, communications, signaling and automatic piloting at the Potrero station, on its eastern and western sides”.

The spokesman pointed out that in addition “the negligent driving of train number 24 that did not respect the driving measures in safety mode, which means not exceeding 35 kilometers per hour, which ensures that in the event of any eventuality the driver can respond and avoid accidents, guaranteeing adequate reactions with sufficient distance and time in a safe manner”.

Evidence from the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office for an accident on Line 3 of the Metro

Meanwhile, Ulises Lara made a chronology of what had happened since the day before, noting that there was already a report of failures in the signals inside the tunnel, for which reason the Central Control Post established “the security march.”

Users of Line 3 of the CDMX Metro were evicted due to smoke in the wagons

In the facilities of this transport system, various effects on the service have occurred in January

The same that indicates that the operators must adopt restricted manual driving of the trains, which means, “that they must circulate at a maximum speed of 15 kilometers per hour in a curve and 35 kilometers per hour in a straight line, in addition to not being able to change to another mode of driving, without prior authorization from the Central Control Post. Therefore, it is prohibited to switch to automatic piloting during this safety period”.

On Saturday, January 7, one day after the failure was reported, at 9:06 a.m., convoy 24 caught up with train 23 that was located at the Potrero – La Raza Interstation, causing the impact.

Evidence from the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office for an accident on Line 3 of the Metro

According to the investigations of the capital’s prosecutor’s office and the electronic record of convoy 24, it was determined that the train “exceeded the speed limit and the system stopped it immediately, but later it registered a change to Automatic Piloting reaching a speed of 45 kilometers per hour until the moment of impact against the train 23. There is no evidence that the driver performed emergency braking or any other maneuver to stop the train”.

Metro personnel located a piece with an “atypical” blow in the area of ​​Line 3 tracks

After what happened, they asked the CDMX Attorney General’s Office to initiate the corresponding investigations

The spokesman for the prosecution stressed that the driver had already made a return from Indios Verdes to University, so he already knew the directions on the Potrero la Raza section. At the conference, Ulises Lara showed two cable fragments like the ones that were cut.

Due to these facts, the FGJCDMX opened an investigation folder for the crime of malicious damage to communication routes against whoever is attributable, which can lead to the crime of sabotage, in accordance with the city’s Penal Code. In addition, the arrest warrant was prosecuted and executed for the possible commission of the crimes of homicide and injury, both guilty, against Carlos Alfredo “N”, driver of train 24.

In the case of the uncoupling of two wagons at the Polanco station on Line 7, the CDMX Prosecutor’s Office also determined that the left fastening screw of both wagons, “maneuvers were carried out with the intention of causing a serious incident in the operation of the subway”.

“The failure originated from an intentional manipulation of the fastening elements of the semi-automatic hitch or Scharfenberg coupler,” the Prosecutor’s Office determined.

Investigations have determined that the position and cleanliness of the left fastening screw indicate that maneuvers were carried out with the intention of causing a serious incident in the operation of the Metro. Photo: FGJCDMX

On the other hand, Ulises Lara reported that hours before the inauguration of the underground section of Line 12 on January 14, the Prosecutor’s Office detected at the Ermita station that the rail change box was beaten and out of place.

“The track device is in charge of changing the direction of the train to carry out track change maneuvers at interstations and connecting tracks. The damage or disablement of said instrument can originate three events: damage to the facilities, derailment and/or train crash”.

The rail change box was beaten and out of place an hour after it was inaugurated on January 14. Photo: FGJCDMX

Due to these facts, an investigation was also opened that determined that given the subsidence marks recorded in the piece of the Track Change Mechanism, “they were made intentionally by means of a construction, mechanical or similar tool. This is an intentional action since they hit it with the aim of rendering it useless and consequently a risky operation for the users’ transport system.

“So far, seven investigation folders have been integrated for events that occurred in the Metro. the previous three (Potrero – La Raza, Atlalilco – Ermita, and Polanco); the fourth for the discovery of an automatic pilot sensor at the Hidalgo – Guerrero interstation; the fifth due to the derailment of one of the motor cars in the El Rosario workshop area; a sixth due to a short circuit at the Barranca del Muerto – Mixcoac interstation; and finally, one due to a short circuit at the Air Terminal – Hangars interstation,” the capital agency reported.

---

Source

---