Tuesday, February 16, 2010
HALLE: At least 18 people were killed and almost a hundred injured when two rush-hour commuter trains smashed into each other outside Brussels Monday, rail officials said.
An investigation was launched into the cause of the crash, which happened at the height of the morning rush, with suspicions of driver error as well as a lack of safety equipment on one of the trains.
In a joint statement Infrabel, which runs the Belgian rail network, and SNCB, which runs the trains, said the death toll stood at 18 with 95 injured.
Eleven of the injured were said to be in serious condition.
Emergency workers suspended after nightfall a search for more bodies in the mangled wreckage of the carriages.
"We don't think there are any more victims in the trains," said crisis centre official Anja De Wolf. "But there could still be more bodies trapped under the carriages," she said.
The high-speed crash, one of the worst rail accidents in Belgian history, happened at around 8:30 am (0730 GMT) as commuters headed to work in the capital.
Groggy survivors wandered around in a state of shock or burst into tears as they were taken to a nearby sports centre to be treated. The Belgian Red Cross issued an appeal for blood donors.
HALLE: At least 18 people were killed and almost a hundred injured when two rush-hour commuter trains smashed into each other outside Brussels Monday, rail officials said.
An investigation was launched into the cause of the crash, which happened at the height of the morning rush, with suspicions of driver error as well as a lack of safety equipment on one of the trains.
In a joint statement Infrabel, which runs the Belgian rail network, and SNCB, which runs the trains, said the death toll stood at 18 with 95 injured.
Eleven of the injured were said to be in serious condition.
Emergency workers suspended after nightfall a search for more bodies in the mangled wreckage of the carriages.
"We don't think there are any more victims in the trains," said crisis centre official Anja De Wolf. "But there could still be more bodies trapped under the carriages," she said.
The high-speed crash, one of the worst rail accidents in Belgian history, happened at around 8:30 am (0730 GMT) as commuters headed to work in the capital.
Groggy survivors wandered around in a state of shock or burst into tears as they were taken to a nearby sports centre to be treated. The Belgian Red Cross issued an appeal for blood donors.
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