Netherlands: One Killed, 30 Injured in Train Derailment

One person was killed and about 30 passengers were injured, many of them seriously, after a train partially derailed in Voorschoten town, the Netherlands, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred around 3:25 a.m. in the town of Voorschoten, near The Hague, sending one carriage into a field next to the tracks.

Rail network company Pro Rail said the accident was linked to the presence of a construction crane seen in the vicinity. A detailed investigation is underway.

Pro Rail CEO John Voppen described the incident as "a black day for Dutch railways".

Television footage showed a person using makeshift bridges to cross a canal running alongside the tracks to reach the stricken train in the dark.

Many train cars had their windows blown out. It was not clear if this happened during the accident or while the passengers were trying to escape.

Injured passengers were treated in houses near the tracks and taken in a fleet of ambulances to hospitals, including a "disaster hospital" that opened in the city center of Utrecht.

“This is an incredibly tragic accident. I sympathize with the victims. Unfortunately, there is also a fatality to mourn. My thoughts go out to all the family and friends of those involved,” Voorschoten Mayor Nadine Stemerdink said in a statement.

Ingrid de Roos, a spokeswoman for local fire services, told the WNL news program that a small fire broke out in the back of the train but was quickly put out.