Two Swiss Trains Collide Head On

Two Swiss Trains Collide Head On

Two Swiss trains experienced a head-on collision recently that resulted to injuries among thirty-five people. Five of the injuries were serious even as one individual remains to be accounted for by authorities.

The collision occurred on a regional line close to the Granges-pres-Marnand station. The location is around fifty kilometers southwest of Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The accident follows a recent derailment of a high-speed train in Spain that resulted to the deaths of 79 people.

The force of the impact caused the two Swiss trains to rise partially as shown on images that emerged over the internet.

The rescue operation at the accident site involved a helicopter, several fire trucks and ambulances, authorities revealed. Authorities also revealed that they have yet to enter the driver’s compartment of one train. The person who has yet to be found is the driver of one of the trains, according to CFF’s Patricia Claivaz. CFF is the name of the national rail company of Switzerland. It also remains to be seen if he is still alive.

Five people involved in the accident had to be taken to a hospital in Lausanne due to serious injuries, authorities revealed. Initial reports indicated that 44 people were injured in the accident, which included four seriously injured persons. This figure was later reduced by authorities although it remained uncertain why it was changed.

Accidents rarely happen in the rail system of Switzerland, which is considered to be the safest in the entire world. However, prior to the recent Swiss train collision, a Glacier Express was derailed three years ago and resulted to the death of one person.

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday July 30 2013, 6:18 PM EST. Ref: CS Monitor. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0