A metrorail train leaving from Cape Town at 16h45 yesterday knocked over a woman in Woodstock, who died instantly. The victim allegedly committed suicide. Witnessing the muddled incident, I report on my and other passengers experience.

When the train had stopped, all train passengers were awaiting an announcement from Metrorail officials for more than 15 minutes, and became troubled by the long wait. Further anxiety was experienced when some passengers became hesitant to jump off because the doors were closing rapidly every few seconds. One of the passengers said, “It was chaotic and very disappoint[ing],” whilst another expressed fury, saying that “they [Metrorail] need to have an intercom system inside the train so that the passengers know [of incidents]. We sat there none the wiser for at least 20 [minutes] [after which] we had to disembark… to Woodstock.”

Some passengers decided to walk back to Woodstock’s train station, while others, including myself, walked over a bridge near the scene of the accident. Walking past a group of what appeared to be dangerous thieves, Huda Omar (20) – one of LIVE Magazine SA’s contributors – was on the phone with her father and suddenly heard policemen yelling, telling her to put her phone away, because “they will rob [her],” to which the group of young men responded, “Ons is nie bang vir julle nie [we are not afraid of you]”. Arriving home 40 minutes later compared to our usual arrival time, we were nothing short of feeling grateful for being safe and sound.

Police and Metrorail officials have not made any reports public yet.