49 killed as Buenos Aires train hits buffers

A packed commuter train ran into the buffers at a station in Buenos Aires during the morning rush-hour yesterday, killing at least 49 people and injuring more than 600 others.

Officials said the train was unable to stop, presumably because of faulty brakes, and it slammed into the buffers at Once station, in the centre of the capital.

A seven-year-old boy was among the first reported fatalities after rescuers pulled his body out of a front carriage.

More than 800 passengers were aboard the train, the state news agency Telam reported.

"The train entered Once station at 26kph [16mph]... we suppose there was some flaw in the brakes," the Transport Secretary, Juan Pablo Schiavi, said.