A rail accident occurred in the Dutch town of Voorschoten, north of The Hague, Netherlands. At least thirty people were taken to hospital with various injuries. A spokesman for local emergency services could not say how many passengers were seriously injured, while people were also treated at the scene. Unfortunately there is also a deceased person!
At around 3.30am, a freight train and a passenger train carrying around 50 passengers collided with a crane on the track. Track work was ongoing at the time of the accident, but two of the four tracks were still accessible. Why or how the crane ended up on the train tracks is not clear.
One person died in the accident. Nineteen other people were taken to hospital, while 20 received medical attention at the scene. The driver of the passenger train was injured but is conscious. The driver of the freight train is "okay" and able to go home, freight carrier DB Cargo said. The passenger train partially derailed and a fire broke out in the back.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) (Onderzoeksraad) opened an investigation into the accident. "It is too early to say anything about the accident itself because it has just happened, but the investigation is ongoing," a spokesman said. The chief executive of Dutch train operator NS Wouter Koolmees said he was "shocked" by the accident and called for a "proper investigation".