Nearly 300 passengers rescued safely after high-voltage power cable falls on train in Australia

ANKARA

Nearly 300 passengers were rescued on Tuesday hours after becoming trapped in a train in Sydney, Australia, when a high-voltage power cable fell onto the carriages, according to local media reports.

Over 300 passengers were safely escorted off the train after a high-voltage power cable fell on carriages near Sydney's Strathfield and Homebush stations, ABC News reported.

Earlier reports said that the local authorities and emergency crews were working to get people off the train safely.

Train service between Sydney's Central Station and Lidcombe was also suspended following the incident, with Sydney Trains stating that it is working to isolate the overhead 1,500-volt wiring from the train.

"The train's power connection device has collided with a number of wires, the overhead wire system," said Howard Collins, New South Wales' general coordinator of transport.

He added that crews needed to turn off the power to the cable before attempting to transport passengers from the affected train to the nearest station.

Collins added that it is still unclear how the live wire came down on the carriage. "We'll find out why this incident occurred," he added.

Separately, Australia's New South Wales state began evacuating dozens of residents from flood-prone areas on Tuesday, citing major emergency warnings for heavy rain, according to ABC News.

*Islamuddin Sajid contributed to the story from Pakistan.