Railways are usually by far the safest way to travel and transport freight. But occasionally trains are involved in accidents and the media goes into overdrive while ignoring the thousands of people killed on the roads every year.
In South Africa, this 8,000 tonne ore train jumped the points at Kamfersdam Junction near Kimberley on Wednesday 25 August, leaving its four electric locomotives at varying degrees of tilt and a few of the 100 wagons jacknifed.
The first loco was only inches away from a train going in the other direction, but waiting at signals.
No one was injured but the Postmasburg driver was shocked by the turn of events.
A breakdown train from Beaconsfield arrived at the scene on Thursday but trains were continuing to pass the scene of the accident on the one line which remains clear.
South African Railways is running short of cash because the Government has failed to pay the full promised subsidy.
There were reports that passenger trains had been cancelled and that rail passengers were being carried by bus over long distances.
The news comes as South African President Jacob Zuma agreed a trade deal with China, and to hold talks about building a £20 billion high-speed railway from Johannesburg to Durban.
Standard Bank also signed a cooperation agreement with state-run China Railway Group on investments in African rail projects.
On the same day as the derailment near Kimberley, nine children were killed in Cape Town when a minibus was hit by a commuter train on a level crossing. Police said the injured minibus driver may face charges of culpable homicide.