China: Over 100 people injured in Beijing metro train collision
Dec 15, 2023
Beijing [China], December 15 : Hundreds of passengers, dozens of them with fractured bones, were taken to the hospital in Beijing on Thursday after a collision between two trains on a busy metro line amid snowy conditions, CNN reported citing the city's transportation authority.
The collision between two trains took place around 7 pm (local time) on the Changping subway line extending to the northwest of Beijing. As many as 515 people were rushed to hospital for examination, with 102 of them suffering from fractures. The statement said no one died in the incident, CNN reported.
As of 6 am (local time) on Friday, 423 people left the hospital, according to the statement. The preliminary investigation revealed that the collision occurred due to malfunction related to signal and emergency braking due to weather conditions, according to the statement released by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.
According to the statement, one train came to an emergency stop due to slippery tracks in the snow and another after being crashed into it. The statement reads, "One train came to an emergency stop due to slippery tracks in the snow, and another following behind crashed into it."
The statement said, "The latter train was in a downhill section, and the snowy weather caused it to slide and failed to brake effectively, causing a rear-end collision with the one in front," according to CNN report.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show separated train cars. In one video, a passenger said, "The subway train I took broke into two parts!, CNN reported.
The incident occurred on an above-ground section of the subway. Nearly 400,000 passenger trips typically take place on the line on a weekday, CNN reported citing state media.
Beijing Transport has issued an apology for the incident and said that it will conduct a probe and take necessary steps to avoid similar incidents in the future.
The collision between trains took place at a time when people in Beijing and northern China have been experiencing cold snap and snowfall since Wednesday, with transport impacted and schools shut.
