landmark
Fantasilandia
Chile's most popular amusement park in Santiago's Parque O'Higgins with rides for all ages.
15 km · about 30 min drive
South AmericaChileSantiago Metropolitan
San Bernardo
Santiago Metropolitan, Chile · South America
About San Bernardo
San Bernardo is worth a stop: 10 minutes from La Pintana, 16km from Ruta 5 (Chilean Pan-American Highway).
San Bernardo is in Santiago Metropolitan, Chile, with about 250,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is La Pintana, about 6 km away.
The San Bernardo train crash was a fatal rail crash that happened on July 17, 1955 at San Bernardo, a suburb on the southern edge of Santiago, the capital of Chile, killing 38 passengers. It was the worst rail disaster in Chilean history until the rail disaster at Queronque in 1986 which killed 58.
The accidentRead more
happened at 8:55 AM in dense fog on a Sunday morning. Train No.3 was held at San Bernardo station waiting for a freight train ahead of it to clear the line. It comprised two first class coaches, a dining car, and five third-class coaches. After a delay of twenty minutes it was given the signal to proceed on its journey south to San Rosendo. But at that same moment it was rammed from behind by Train No.11 bound for Pichilemu destroying the two rear third-class carriages and killing most of the occupants. The impact was so great that a block from the crash site fragments of debris and human remains could be found.
Survivors said the disaster could have been much worse as many passengers, bored by the long wait, had alighted from the train and were waiting on the platform. It was also fortunate that the rear two carriages contained many traders with large packages and baskets meaning that these carriages held fewer passengers than those further forward. President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo visited the scene later that morning.
According to the official report 38 people were killed and over 58 wounded, although other sources put the death toll at 49 or even 70 dead.
The driver of No.11 claimed that the signals were green on his approach to the station, but the subsequent enquiry found no fault with the signals, furthermore if they were obscured then the regulations state that he should have stopped his train as a preventative measure.
Seven months after the crash at San Bernardo a very similar accident occurred near Santiago which killed 23 and injured 198. Again, one train ran into the rear of another in thick fog with the driver of the rear train at fault.
Where to Stay in San Bernardo
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near San Bernardo?
Within an hour or so of San Bernardo: Fantasilandia (15 km), Ruta 5 (Chilean Pan-American Highway) (16 km), San Cristóbal Hill, Santiago (20 km).
Are there any good drives near San Bernardo?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta 5 (Chilean Pan-American Highway), Paso de los Libertadores (Cristo Redentor) and Paso Internacional Los Libertadores.
Where is San Bernardo?
San Bernardo is in Santiago Metropolitan, Chile, about 6 km from La Pintana.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 249,858
- Continent
- South America
- Country
- Chile
- Region
- Santiago Metropolitan
- Timezone
- America/Santiago
- Coordinates
- -33.5922, -70.6996
Tags
Worth the detour from San Bernardo
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
historic highway
Ruta 5 (Chilean Pan-American Highway)
Chile's 3,364-kilometre north-south trunk road from Arica to Quellón, the spine of most long-distance drives.
16 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
San Cristóbal Hill, Santiago
A metropolitan park hill with a funicular to the summit offering panoramic views of Santiago and the snow-capped Andes behind it.
20 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near San Bernardo
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 16 kmRuta 5 (Chilean Pan-American Highway)Chile's 3,364-kilometre north-south trunk road from Arica to Quellón, the spine of most long-distance drives.
- 20 kmSan Cristóbal Hill, SantiagoA metropolitan park hill with a funicular to the summit offering panoramic views of Santiago and the snow-capped Andes behind it.
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