Big train crash in Belgium, near Brussels

[Erik1984]

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8515855.stm

Reports from Belgium say at least 20 people have been killed in a head-on collision between two trains outside the capital, Brussels.

Railway officials said the two trains collided during the morning rush hour at Halle, south-west of Brussels.

The local mayor told Belgian media that at least 20 people had been killed in the crash, but railway officials could not confirm the figure.

Belgian media said the trains collided in snowy conditions.

Mayor Dirk Pieters said "the most recent information we have is that 20 people died".

The trains collided in the commuter town around 0830 local time (0730GMT) on Monday.

Television pictures showed the lead carriages of each train pushed into the air leaning against each other.
Map showing Halle and Brussels in Belgium

Witnesses said passengers were thrown around violently inside the trains.

Emergency workers said there was considerable damage to the overhead power lines at the station in Buizingen, the district of Halle where the trains crashed.

Railway services in the area, including the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels, have been blocked.

Eurostar said services to and from Brussels were cancelled until further notice.

There has been no indication of what caused the collision but it comes after a weekend of snow and freezing temperatures across Belgium.

In 2001, eight people were killed and 12 were injured in a head-on collision between commuter trains outside Brussels. It was thought that language difficulties between a Flemish-speaking signalman and a French-speaking colleague were a factor in that crash.

Another accident in 2008 left more than 40 people injured when a passenger train travelling in the wrong direction hit a goods train in central Belgium, AFP news agency said.

Edit: The number of victims is still uncertain.

[Illegal_Alien]

Official number is 10, the NMBS says 25 but not confirmed.

Pictures: http://www.nieuws.be/nieuws/Foto_2_pass ... 41b22.aspx

Seems like M4 wich crashed into some "Klasiekjes". (or visa versa) edit: Hmm, i seem to be wrong, but on the TV, it looks like M4 but it could be a train next to it.)






Youtube:

[audigex]

Ouch, looks nasty

[Illegal_Alien]

I think this photo says it all:




See also: http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/957/Belgie/pho ... html#photo

Yes, that was a full wagon.

(click Volgende (Next) and Vorige (Last) for more pictures.)

[John]

Yes, that was a full wagon.

That photo isn't surprising given the amount of debris under the two carriages that are raised up. It seems a sad case where a carriage lost its structurally integrity.


Here's hoping the death toll rises no further.

[Illegal_Alien]

Its now official 12 dead, but possibly 25.

[Erik1984]

Its now official 12 dead, but possibly 25.

I've adjusted the topic title because of this sadly changing number, but luckily still not 20 as the first headlines mentioned. Let's hope it doesn't become 25. This dutch article http://www.nu.nl/buitenland/2184744/vee ... elgie.html states that at least 50 people are wounded, a few seriously.

[Kevo00]

Its not good, lets hope they don't find anymore dead. Lets hope they can establish the cause and hope this won't happen again too, seems this was a direct head on collision at speed.

[Erik1984]

18 bodies taken out of the trains so far according to Belgian TV.

[Illegal_Alien]

18 official indeed, but they also still hold the unoffical 25. 55 wounded.

15 man and 3 woman. Some of the bodies are so badly injured, that identification is almost impossible.

Video from a helicopter: http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/m ... u/1.716991

[Illegal_Alien]

Sorry for doublepost but this is info about the safety system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Crocodile and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_railway_signalling

[ostlandr]

Ouch. Our thoughts are with the families of the dead and injured.

Events like this and similar ones in the US are why our Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is mandating Positive Train Control on must US railways (ones carrying passengers and/or HAZMAT cargoes) by 2015. Being done in a typical bludgeoning, ham-handed, bureaucratic fashion of course, but at least it's going to happen.

[Illegal_Alien]

They probaly found a 19th casualty, they found a leg, but it doesnt match the other dead/wounded people. (Sound like horror but its the harsh truth.) Its still laying beneath the wreckage.