Angry Commuters Torch Trains at Cape Town Railway Station

Angry commuters burnt trains, looted shops and smashed windows at Cape Town’s central train station after a signal failure left them stranded for hours without alternative transportation on Monday, June 12.

According to local media, operators provided some buses but not nearly enough to transport all the passengers. Footage shared by one eyewitness showed people climbing through bus windows to get onboard.

For some commuters the disruptions on Monday were the final straw, with complaints about frequent delays flooding Facebook. Others were outraged by the destruction to the train station and trains.

Footage shot by a local reporter for Ground Up News shows one train in flames.