WELLINGTON, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A road slip occurred on State Highway 1 (SH1) north of Wellington, New Zealand, cutting off the southbound main road to the capital, while a passenger train derailed nearby, causing commuters long time delay early morning today, according to local media, NZ Herald.
Witnesses on the scene saw debris falling on the rail lines. Two commuter carriages came off the tracks, after flooding, around 6:00 a.m. local time today.
According to local media, 92 passengers from the derailed train were safely unloaded, and no injury was reported.
Metlink, the commuting runner, confirmed that the train service was suspended in many parts of Wellington this morning.
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) also warned of “significant delays” on social media, due to the derailment and associated slip.
The derailment came after a night of heavy rain and severe gales in the Wellington region, with the wild weather forecast to continue in the capital throughout the day.
Wellington, called, the “coolest little capital” by locals, was damp out by downpour and strong gales of over 120 km per hour overnight, causing flooding and trees falling in many rural areas.– NNN-AGENCIES
