1 dead, 30 injured as Dutch train derails

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

A passenger train derailed in the Netherlands after hitting a construction crane, killing at least one person and injuring 30 others, many of them seriously.

The accident happened early on Tuesday in Voorschoten, a village near The Hague. Emergency services said the incident occurred at around 3:25 a.m. (0125 GMT) and that 19 people were taken to hospital, while others were treated at the scene.

The night train from Leiden city to The Hague collided with the crane, according to Carola Belderbos, a Dutch Railways official. The driver and two conductors were among those injured. The front carriage of the train derailed and ploughed into a field, while the second carriage was on its side. A fire broke out in the rear carriage but was extinguished.

Earlier reports suggested the train had collided with a freight train, but it later emerged that a freight train carrying chalk was also involved in the accident, according to Dutch Railways spokesperson Erik Kroeze.

The Dutch Safety Board, police and the company itself have all launched investigations into the incident.

« Back to Page