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Belgian passenger trains collide | Belgian passenger trains collide |
(10 minutes later) | |
Reports from Belgium say at least 20 people have been killed in a head-on collision between two trains outside the capital, Brussels. | Reports from Belgium say at least 20 people have been killed in a head-on collision between two trains outside the capital, Brussels. |
Railway officials said the two trains collided during the morning rush hour at Halle, south-west of Brussels. | Railway officials said the two trains collided during the morning rush hour at Halle, south-west of Brussels. |
The local mayor told Belgian media that at least 20 people had been killed in the crash, but railway officials could not confirm the figure. | The local mayor told Belgian media that at least 20 people had been killed in the crash, but railway officials could not confirm the figure. |
Belgian media said the trains collided in snowy conditions. | Belgian media said the trains collided in snowy conditions. |
Mayor Dirk Pieters said "the most recent information we have is that 20 people died". | Mayor Dirk Pieters said "the most recent information we have is that 20 people died". |
The trains collided in the commuter town around 0830 local time (0730GMT) on Monday. | |
Television pictures showed the lead carriages of each train pushed into the air leaning against each other. | Television pictures showed the lead carriages of each train pushed into the air leaning against each other. |
Witnesses said passengers were thrown around violently inside the trains. | |
Emergency workers said there was considerable damage to the overhead power lines at the station in Buizingen, the district of Halle where the trains crashed. | Emergency workers said there was considerable damage to the overhead power lines at the station in Buizingen, the district of Halle where the trains crashed. |
Railway services in the area, including the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels, have been blocked. | Railway services in the area, including the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels, have been blocked. |
Eurostar said services to and from Brussels were cancelled until further notice. | Eurostar said services to and from Brussels were cancelled until further notice. |
There has been no indication of what caused the collision but it comes after a weekend of snow and freezing temperatures across Belgium. | There has been no indication of what caused the collision but it comes after a weekend of snow and freezing temperatures across Belgium. |
In 2001, eight people were killed and 12 were injured in a head-on collision between commuter trains outside Brussels. It was thought that language difficulties between a Flemish-speaking signalman and a French-speaking colleague were a factor in that crash. | |
Another accident in 2008 left more than 40 people injured when a passenger train travelling in the wrong direction hit a goods train in central Belgium, AFP news agency said. | |
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