Train crash in Netherlands leaves one dead, dozens severely injured

One person was killed and scores of others severely injured after a passenger train carrying roughly 60 people derailed Tuesday after colliding with construction equipment on a track at Voorschoten, which lies between The Hague and Amsterdam, Dutch emergency services said.

While the front carriage of the double-decker night train from the city of Leiden derailed and plowed into a nearby field around 3:30 am CET, the second derailed carriage landed on its side, the third remained upright and the fourth one was engulfed in flames which were soon extinguished, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

Hollands Midden emergency services elaborated on the condition of the injured, adding at least 30 people sustained injuries in the incident and were being treated at the spot. While the seriously injured passengers were rushed to hospital, 11 were receiving treatment at houses of nearby residents, it further mentioned.

While initial reports suggested the passenger train collided with a freight train, updates shared a different picture of the incident, suggesting the train might have collided with construction materials on the tracks, potentially a crane.

Following the tragic crash, a number of ambulances and a trauma helicopter were rushed to the site to carry the severely injured ones to the hospital. “We heard a loud bang and suddenly the lights went out,” the local Omroep West television news quoted an unidentified witness as saying. “We couldn’t initially get out … because there was no electricity.”

Officials from the Dutch Safety Board have been dispatched to the site. The organisation is responsible for conducting independent investigations into accidents. Meanwhile, Dutch Railways confirmed the temporary cancellation of trains between Leiden and parts of The Hague.