NewsRescue
According to local officials and media, an overnight train crash in the Netherlands has claimed at least one life and injured dozens of people, some of them seriously.
The incident occurred on Tuesday around 3:25 a.m. (01:25 GMT) local time, as the night train from Leiden to The Hague was passing through the town of Voorschoten, which was not far from its destination.
Images from the scene showed one carriage plowing into a field and another lying tilted on the track. According to an emergency services spokesperson, a small fire broke out in the rear carriage but was quickly extinguished.
The train was carrying approximately 50 passengers, 30 of whom were injured, according to Dutch Railways (NS). Some needed minor injuries treated at the scene, but 19 were taken to hospitals, including one opened in Utrecht’s central city in response to the emergency.
Initially, it was thought that the crash was caused by a collision with a freight train. A regional emergency response organization later suggested that a small construction crane had been left on the track.
The equipment was reportedly discovered at the crash site, but its role in the tragedy has yet to be determined conclusively.
The accident was described as a “black day for Dutch railways” by John Voppen, CEO of the ProRail network, who expressed his condolences to everyone involved. Mayor Nadine Stemerdink of Voorschoten called the incident “incredibly tragic” and expressed her condolences.
Due to the accident, NS announced on Twitter that no trains would run between Leiden and The Hague.