Doomed Christmas Train

On December 24th, 1953. NZR Ka No. 949 was pulling the 3.Pm Express across New Zealand. As it was approaching the Whangaehu River Bridge, a Lahar caused the bridge to collapse. A passerby, Cyrill Ellis, saw the bridge collapse. He tried to warn the incoming train with a torch, but it was too late. The train jumped off the bridge and plunged into the Whangaehu river. Out of the 285 people on board the train, 151 died. To this day the tangiwai train crash still remains the worst Train wreck in the History of New Zealand