Train derails after crashing into construction crane in Voorschoten; One killed, 30 hurt
One person died and 30 got hurt in a train accident in Voorschoten on Tuesday morning. The train derailed after it crashed into a small construction crane on the track. Emergency services took 19 of the injured to hospitals. The other 11 were treated at the scene, Veilgheidsregio Hollands-Midden said.
The train crash happened around 3:25 a.m., involving an intercity train with around 50 people on board, according to NS. Two of the train’s four wagons are lying next to the rails, a spokesperson for the Veiligheidsregio, the local safety office, told broadcaster NOS.
The train was on its way from Leiden to The Hague. A fire broke out in one wagon and has since been extinguished. A freight train also collided with the construction equipment, according to NOS.
Emergency services responded to the scene in large numbers, including police, the fire department, multiple ambulances, and trauma teams that came by helicopter.
The passengers were evacuated and treated on-site or taken to a hospital where necessary. So far, nothing is known about the identity of the person who died.
The accident halted train traffic to and from Leiden Central Station until at least 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The authorities are investigating, and specialists are “securing” the train, according to NOS. Only after the train is removed can ProRail assess the damage to the track and give an estimate on when it will be repaired.
