Amsterdam Train Crash Injures Almost 125 People

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Two Dutch Trains Collide, Injuring 125 Passengers

By REUTERS

 

Published: April 21, 2012 at 5:17 PM ET

 

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) — Almost 125 people were injured, many seriously, when two Dutch commuter trains crashed head-on in Amsterdam on Saturday, police said.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but of those injured, 13 suffered major injuries while 43 or 44 were badly injured, a spokesman said. About 70 suffered minor injuries.

A trauma helicopter was used to bring the injured to hospital, a spokesman for railways group NS said.

The trains did not serve Schiphol International Airport, the NS spokesman added, but the accident disrupted airport train service.

Some people were lifted from the wreckage by cranes while others were led away from the crash site in protective wraps to dozens of waiting ambulances, while police cars and fire trucks stood by.

“We heard a loud bang. I went outside and saw people on the street in panic,” a woman at the scene told broadcaster AT5.

“We then saw what had happened. Quite quickly there were emergency services at the scene. It was managed well. Some people had head wounds, others were limping.”

One of the trains involved in the crash serves the cities of Den Helder and Nijmegen, while the other runs between Amsterdam and Uitgeest, the railways spokesman said.

Netherlands public broadcaster NOS aired video footage showing two trains that had collided.

(Reporting by Gilbert Kreijger, additional reporting by Sara Webb; Editing by Michael Roddy)

 

[User]

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Anyone know how fast the trains were going when they collided? In Italy we have the high speed trains (EuroStar) and they can pick up speed rather quickly.