During the early hours of Tuesday morning, a passenger train collided with a construction crane and derailed close to The Hague. The collision sent two carriages careening into a field that was next to the rail tracks. According to the Dutch emergency services, one individual passed away and 19 others were sent to the hospital.
The police have launched an inquiry to determine whether or not any crime was really committed. A further investigation into the reason for the accident has been launched by an impartial third party.
People could be seen constructing makeshift bridges and climbing ladders in order to cross a shallow drainage ditch that ran alongside the tracks in order to reach the derailed train in the darkness. A great number of the windows in the railway cars were shattered. It was unclear if this occurred during the collision itself or when passengers rushed to evacuate.
Two of the railway carriages came perpendicular to the rails, partly in a field on the other side of the narrow canal than where the tracks were. The front of the train, or what looked to be its front, had significant damage. The derailment of the train continued with other segments of the train.
The immediate aftermath of the collision was captured on video from inside the train, showing frantic scenes as people attempted to exit the wreckage while it was still dark outside.
At the time of the collision, there were around fifty people on the passenger train that had four carriages.
John Voppen, the chief executive officer of the firm that operates the rail network known as Pro Rail, said that a passenger train and a freight train collided with a crane that was being used for the purpose of doing maintenance. He said that the crane was located on rails that were not being used by train traffic, and it is unclear how the trains were able to crash with the crane despite this.
At a press conference, he addressed the media and said that “we don’t understand how this could have happened.”
The name of the person who was killed in the accident was not immediately released, and it was unclear whether the person had been a passenger on the train or part of the maintenance team that had been working on the rails when the Hague train crash happened around 3:25 a.m. (0125 GMT) in the town of Voorschoten.
The railway company NS also issued a statement, in which it said that a collision involving a passenger train, a freight train, and a construction crane had occurred, but the firm did not provide any other information.
The Chief Executive Officer of NS, Wouter Koolmees, was quoted as saying in a statement that “Like everyone else, I’m full of questions, and we want to know exactly what happened” and “A thorough investigation must be carried out. At the moment, all attention is focused on the wellbeing of our travelers and colleagues.” According to the regional coordinator of emergency services, 19 of the injured passengers were transported to five hospitals, including a “calamity hospital” that was opened in the city of Utrecht, which is located in the city’s central region. Eleven of the injured passengers were treated in homes that were located near the line.
