Where is the Tangiwai disaster memorial?
The Tangiwai Memorial is situated just off State Highway 49, between Tangiwai and Waiouru. With the very worst of bad luck, the overnight Wellington to Auckland passenger express train, carrying 285 people, arrived at the bridge shortly afterwards.
How many people died at Tangiwai?
151
Tangiwai disaster/Number of deaths
Why was the Tangiwai disaster important?
The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, 8 km west of Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning, and stunned the world.
Who was involved in the Tangiwai?
The death toll of 151 consisted of Parker, Redman, 148 second-class passengers, and one first-class passenger. Twenty of the bodies were never found and were presumed to have been carried 120 km (75 mi) downriver to the ocean.
What happened in the Tangiwai disaster?
24 December 1953 The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River, just west of Tangiwai in the central North Island. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed.
Who died in the Tangiwai disaster?
At 10.21 p.m. on Christmas Eve 1953 the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River at Tangiwai, 10 km west of Waiōuru in the central North Island. Of the 285 passengers and crew on board, 151 died in New Zealand’s worst railway accident.
What happened at Tangiwai?
Why did the Tangiwai bridge collapse?
The cause of the tragedy was a volcanic lahar from the Mt Ruapehu crater lake, which sent a huge wave of water, silt, boulders and debris surging down the Whangaehu River minutes before the express approached the bridge at Tangiwai.
Why is the Tangiwai disaster significant to New Zealand?
Tangiwai was the site of what is considered to be the worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history. It happened on Christmas Eve 1953, when the passenger train travelling from Wellington to Auckland suddenly plunged into the Whangaehu river at Tangiwai and 151 people lost their lives.
What happened to the Tangiwai disaster?
New Zealand’s worst railway disaster occurred 60 years ago on Christmas Eve 1953, when the Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the swollen Whangaehu River near Tangiwai. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy stunned the world and left a nation in mourning.
What caused the Tangiwai railway disaster 1953?
24 December 1953 The cause of the tragedy was a volcanic lahar from the Mt Ruapehu crater lake, which sent a huge wave of water, silt, boulders and debris surging down the Whangaehu River minutes before the express approached the bridge at Tangiwai.
How many graves are on the Tangiwai memorial?
The Tangiwai memorial features sixteen graves of Tangiwai victims, each with a bronze plaque at the foot.
Where is the Tangiwai disaster memorial in New Zealand?
Just off State Highway 49, between Tangiwai and Waiouru, there stands a modest black column of polished marble covered in names, which marks the site of the deaths of 151 people on Christmas Eve, 1953.
Where is the Tangiwai historic reserve in New Zealand?
Registration includes the 1.7130 ha of land comprised in the Tangiwai Historic Reserve as described in New Zealand Gazette 1994, p.4346, and the Tangiwai Disaster Memorial thereon, and the sightlines to the Whangaehu River, the replacement rail-bridge, and the site of the original rail-bridge. Beside State Highway 49, between Ohakune and Waiouru.
What was the significance of the Tangiwai disaster?
The Tangiwai Historic Reserve has social significance. While it was the location where the disaster occurred, it was not intended to serve as an official memorial site. An official memorial was unveiled at the Karori Cemetery in Wellington on 26 March 1957.
