Danish Trains Collide Head-On Leaving Front Ends Deformed; 18 Injured, 5 Critical
Two commuter trains collided head-on near Copenhagen, Denmark, injuring 18 people, 5 critically. Experts suspect human error related to an outdated signaling system.
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(Central News Agency, Hillerod, Denmark, 23rd, Comprehensive Foreign Dispatch) Officials stated that two commuter trains collided head-on early this morning in the suburbs of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, leaving 5 injured in critical condition and another 13 with minor injuries.
According to AFP, the accident occurred near a level crossing in a rural forest area close to the town of Hillerod, about 40 kilometers north of Copenhagen. Police are still unable to provide the exact cause of the incident.
In a statement, police quoted health authorities: "This accident caused a total of 18 injuries, 5 of which are currently considered critical."
Police stated they received the report of the head-on collision at 6:29 a.m.
The yellow and gray front ends of the two trains could be seen severely deformed and destroyed by the massive impact, with shattered windows and windshields, but the trains and carriages remained on the tracks and did not overturn.
According to police data, the two trains were carrying a total of 37 people at the time of the accident.
Authorities deployed a large number of ambulances and police cars to respond to the incident. All passengers have been evacuated, and the injured have been taken to the hospital. Trine Egetved, the mayor of Gribskov, stated on Facebook that some of the injured were rushed to the hospital by helicopter.
Police official Morten Kaare Pedersen told reporters: "At this moment, we cannot disclose any details regarding the cause of the accident."
Kristian Madsen, a railway expert from the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA), told AFP he believes the accident was highly likely caused by human error.
"It is possible that the train driver did not notice the red signal and continued forward... or it could be that the stationmaster responsible for the station's signal system mistakenly gave a green light."
The expert explained that the area still uses an "old-style signaling system."
Denmark has always prided itself on its safety record, though a train accident in 2019 resulted in 8 deaths and 16 injuries. Last August, an express train collided with an agricultural truck at a level crossing, resulting in 1 death and 27 injuries. (Translation: He Hongru) 1150423
According to AFP, the accident occurred near a level crossing in a rural forest area close to the town of Hillerod, about 40 kilometers north of Copenhagen. Police are still unable to provide the exact cause of the incident.
In a statement, police quoted health authorities: "This accident caused a total of 18 injuries, 5 of which are currently considered critical."
Police stated they received the report of the head-on collision at 6:29 a.m.
The yellow and gray front ends of the two trains could be seen severely deformed and destroyed by the massive impact, with shattered windows and windshields, but the trains and carriages remained on the tracks and did not overturn.
According to police data, the two trains were carrying a total of 37 people at the time of the accident.
Authorities deployed a large number of ambulances and police cars to respond to the incident. All passengers have been evacuated, and the injured have been taken to the hospital. Trine Egetved, the mayor of Gribskov, stated on Facebook that some of the injured were rushed to the hospital by helicopter.
Police official Morten Kaare Pedersen told reporters: "At this moment, we cannot disclose any details regarding the cause of the accident."
Kristian Madsen, a railway expert from the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA), told AFP he believes the accident was highly likely caused by human error.
"It is possible that the train driver did not notice the red signal and continued forward... or it could be that the stationmaster responsible for the station's signal system mistakenly gave a green light."
The expert explained that the area still uses an "old-style signaling system."
Denmark has always prided itself on its safety record, though a train accident in 2019 resulted in 8 deaths and 16 injuries. Last August, an express train collided with an agricultural truck at a level crossing, resulting in 1 death and 27 injuries. (Translation: He Hongru) 1150423