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France 24
France 24
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FRANCE 24

Passenger train derails in deadly crash near The Hague, dozens injured

Emergency services work at the site of a derailed train in Voorschoten on April 4, 2023. © Remko de Waal, AFP

One person was killed and at least 30 were injured after a passenger train derailed in the southern Netherlands on Tuesday, emergency services said.

The train derailed after colliding with construction equipment on the line near the village of Voorschoten, between The Hague and Amsterdam, it said.

"At least 30 people were injured and are being treated at the spot. The seriously injured are being taken to hospital, while 11 are at homes of nearby residents," Hollands Midden emergency services said.

"Specialists are working to secure the train."

The accident happened at around 3:30 am (0130 GMT) when the double-decker intercity train smacked into the building material on the tracks at Voorschoten, about eight kilometres (five miles) north of The Hague.

A derailed passenger train is halted on the track, in Voorschoten, Netherlands on April 4, 2023. © Kyrlian de Bot, Reuters

Images from the scene and news reports showed a front carriage derailed and ploughing into a field, while a second derailed carriage landed on its side.

A third carriage remained upright, while a fourth caught fire, the ANP news agency said.

Around 60 people were on board at the time of the accident.

Ambulance services rushed to the scene en masse, including a trauma helicopter, to take the most seriously injured passengers to hospital.

It was not immediately clear how serious their injuries was.

"We heard a loud bang and suddenly the lights went out," an unidentified witness told the local Omroep West television news.

"We couldn't initially get out of the train because there was no electricity," said the man, who appeared in a state of shock.

Services on the busy link, used by trains running from Amsterdam to Brussels and Paris have been halted and will not resume until the afternoon, rail officials said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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