A passenger train has collided with a freight train in the town of Meerbusch in western Germany, injuring at least 47 people, local officials say. More than 150 passengers were trapped inside for more than two hours due to a broken overhead line.
The accident happened at about 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday when the passenger train collided with a freight train outside the Meerbusch-Osterath station in Meerbusch, a town just outside Düsseldorf, about 37 kilometers (23 miles) from the border with the Netherlands.
A total of 155 people were on board the passenger train, which was operated by National Express. The Meerbusch Fire Department confirmed that 47 people had been injured in the accident, including three people with serious injuries and three others with moderate injuries.
A large number of emergency services responded to the scene, including firefighters from neighboring cities, but they were initially unable to access the train because of a broken overhead line. An evacuation began just before 10 p.m. after the situation had been made safe.
“Access to the train and the people inside was made more difficult by the broken contact wire of the overhead line, which posed a risk of electric shock to people outside the train,” the fire department said. “The scene was illuminated and preparations were made to provide medical assistance.”
The cause of Tuesday’s accident was not immediately known.
(Copyright 2017 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)
