One person has died, and several others were injured in the Netherlands after a training crash. The accident happened after the train hit construction equipment on the track.
Rescue workers were seen ferrying injured people away in the pre-dawn darkness at the accident site in Voorschoten, a village near The Hague. The mishap occurred around 3:25 a.m., according to emergency services.
According to a fire department spokesperson, 19 individuals were taken to the hospital. Others were being helped on the spot, according to emergency services.
According to the ANP news agency, the first carriage of the night train to The Hague from Leiden derailed and ploughed into a field after the mishap. According to the report, the second carriage was on its side when a fire broke out in the back carriage, but it was quickly extinguished.
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The reason for the accident was the subject of conflicting reports.
According to previous accounts, the passenger train collided with a goods train. A goods train was engaged in the accident, according to Dutch Railways (NS) spokesperson Erik Kroeze, who could not provide further details.
Trains between Leiden and parts of The Hague were cancelled as a result of the mishap, according to Dutch Railways.
"This is an incredibly tragic accident," said Mayor Nadine Stemerdink of Voorschoten. "We regret that a fatality occurred." My sympathies are with the victims' families and friends."
In a tweet, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima also expressed condolences.
According to Ingrid de Roos, a spokeswoman for local fire services, a small fire broke out at the back of the train but was soon extinguished.
The CEO of the rail network company Pro Rail, John Voppen, called the accident "a black day for Dutch railways" and said the reason was being investigated.
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