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VORSCHOTEN, The Netherlands (Reuters) – At least one person was killed and 30 seriously injured when a passenger train carrying about 50 people collided with a crane under construction and derailed in the early hours of Saturday morning in the Netherlands. .
At the scene of the accident in the village of Voerskoten near Den Haag, rescuers were seen carrying the wounded out in the predawn darkness. According to emergency services, the accident occurred around 3:25 am (0125 GMT).
19 people were taken to hospital. Paramedics said others were being treated at the scene.
Carola Berderbos of Dutch Railways said the train hit a crane, injuring the driver and two conductors.
The lead carriage of a night train from the city of Leiden to The Hague has derailed, emergency services said. The second passenger car was overturned and a fire broke out in the rear car, but the fire was extinguished.
Earlier reports said a passenger train collided with a freight train. Dutch Railways spokesperson Eric Klose said a freight train carrying chalk was involved in the accident, but could not provide further details.
Jeroen Wienen of Prorail, which manages the rails, said several investigations had been launched, including by the company itself, the police and the Dutch Safety Board investigating the serious accident.
“Fortunately this is a very unique accident, but a terrifying one,” Wienen told Reuters at the scene of the accident.
“We at Prorail are investigating mainly to see what happened and how we can avoid this in the future,” he said, adding, “Everyone is really upset. ‘ added.
Dutch Railways said in a tweet that trains between Leiden and parts of The Hague had been canceled due to an accident.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Dutch royal family were among those who expressed sympathy for the victims.
“My thoughts are with the bereaved families and all the victims. I wish them well,” Rutte said in a tweet. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to them all.
Reported by Anthony Deutsch, Amsterdam and Akriti Sharma, Bangalore. Written by Raju Gopalakrishnan. Edited by Stephen Coates
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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