GENEVA, Switzerland – Several folks have been injured, at the very least one severely, in two separate prepare derailments that occurred in fast succession Friday in unhealthy climate in northwestern Switzerland, police mentioned.
The incidents befell about 30 kilometers aside, north of the Swiss capital Bern, and rescue operations are nonetheless ongoing.
“There are injuries in both trains,” a Bern cantonal police spokeswoman instructed AFP.
The first incident occurred within the lakeside village of Luscherz, northwest of the capital Bern, at round 4:30 pm (1430 GMT), police mentioned. The prepare was travelling between Luscherz and Bienne.
“A train derailed. The rear part of the train fell on the right side,” a Bern cantonal police spokeswoman instructed AFP.
“There are several injured,” she mentioned, with out with the ability to give extra particulars on the situation of these concerned.
“Rescue interventions — police, ambulance and firefighters — are still in progress,” she added.
Police don’t but know why the prepare derailed.
Regional rail operator Aare Seeland Mobil mentioned that companies had been cancelled on the road attributable to “a derailment caused by a storm”, with the length of the disruption “unknown”.
‘One severely injured’
The second incident befell round 20 minutes later within the village of Buren zum Hof.
The RBS regional rail operator mentioned some companies had been suspended “as a result of the storm”.
A spokeswoman mentioned the accident might have been because of the excessive winds however “it’s not clear”.
Bern police tweeted that in Buren zum Hof, “there is currently an operation due to a derailed RBS train. There are several injured, including at least one seriously injured person.”
The MeteoSwiss nationwide climate service mentioned that gusts of greater than 90 kilometers (55 miles) per hour had been recorded in Switzerland on Friday.
“This wet and windy situation is associated with the Mathis depression circulating over northern Europe,” it mentioned, producing “stormy winds over part of Europe including Switzerland.
“The strongest gusts are typically related to showers and thunderstorms.”
Picturesque routes
Switzerland is renowned for its extensive and punctual rail network, with frequent services between cities, towns and even villages.
Rail enthusiasts come from all over the world to ride on some of the most picturesque routes, or those with exceptionally steep climbs.
Recent figures from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office show that in 2021, excluding suicides, eight people lost their lives in Swiss rail accidents and 47 were seriously injured. Most of those hurt were on the tracks.
There were 88 separate accidents, of which 53 resulted in serious injury.
“Overall, the variety of victims of rail accidents has fallen considerably in current many years, regardless of a rise in transport companies,” the workplace says.
According to the Swiss National Museum, the deadliest catastrophe in Swiss rail historical past occurred in June 1891 when a railway bridge collapsed underneath the load of a packed prepare.
Seventy-three folks had been killed within the catastrophe and greater than 150 had been injured.
The bridge was constructed by the well-known French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel.
In September 1982, in Pfaffikon close to Zurich, a prepare hit a bus on a stage crossing after the visitors barrier did not decrease.
Thirty-nine folks died within the crash and solely two bus passengers survived the catastrophe. — Agence France-Presse
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
