Six people are dead and 16 are injured after an accident with a lyntog on Storebæltsbrua between Funen and Zealand in Denmark.
the Accident happened just after 07h30 in the morning, after that area had been characterized by a powerful wind.
Police still don’t know the cause of the accident, but politiinspektør Lars Bræmhøj in Funen-the police describe the accident this way:
MORE DEAD: Multiple people are dead after a togulykke on Storebæltsbrua in Denmark. Video: Google Earth, NTB Scanpix. Clip: Ørjan Ryland / Dagbladet Show more
What we can confirm is that it has rolled goods of a goods train, before lyntoget has hit this money. There is significant damage to the train, ” he says.
the Head of the Danish accident investigation board, Bo Haaning, is on the scene of the accident. He says that a container has fallen off godstoget.
It was an empty container that was on a dual passenger seat, who fell off. It has either hit the train or have the train run into it, ” says Haaning to DR.
He could not say if it is the container which has caused the accident, or whether other things may have hit the train. He also can’t say anything about why the container overturned.
Øltog from Carlsberg
It was goods from gigantbryggeriet Carlsberg that was in the wagons on the godstoget.
Godstoget was on his way from Høje Taastrup next to Copenhagen to Fredericia further west in Denmark, with return packaging.
director of Communications at the brewery, Kasper Elbjørn, says to Dagbladet that it is not they who are responsible for the transportation.
DAMAGE: the Images of godsvognene shows the extensive damage to the presenningene on the carts. According to police, pushed the goods out from the train before lyntoget drove on it. Photo: Michael Baker/Ritzau Scanpix / NTB scanpix Show more
– We buy the service of the DB Cargo Scandinavia, which is our regular carrier. The message we got was that it is one of their trains that have been involved in the accident. There are also those who are responsible for securing the load, ” says Elbjørn.
He got information about the accident at 9.30 Wednesday, and describes the accident as a tragedy. Currently, he has received very little information about what may have caused the incident.
– We know nothing. But we are strongly characterized, and I have no words for how tragic this is. Our deepest sympathy goes to the relatives and the bereaved, ” says Elbjørn to the Newspaper.
Togpassasjer: – Suddenly were three windows smashed the Bridge was closed for cars
the DB Cargo is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn.
director of Communications in the DB Cargo Scandinavia, Jan Wildau, has so far not answered Dagbladet inquiries.
He has, however, talked with Extra Blade, and confirm that the train was permitted to run across the bridge in the morning. He says they quickly realized that it was serious.
It was, unfortunately, our train, which was involved in an accident on the Storebæltsbrua, ” he says.
MAJOR INJURY: Several of the wagons on the godstoget is seemingly destroyed. Photo: Michael Baker/Ritzau Scanpix / NTB scanpix Show more
We can see that there is major damage to the godstogets wagons and tarpaulins, but what caused the accident, the investigation uncover the next few days and weeks, ” he says to the newspaper.
Blew more on bilbrua
It is the state owned company Sund and Bælt which assesses whether cars and trains can run across the bridge. The whole night to in the day was the bridge closed for vehicles, which was especially vindutsatt and for all vehicular traffic. The cars are running, however, the so-called høybrua, while the trains are running on vestbrua.
– It was not the wind on the vestbrua so that it was closed for the togtrafikk. It was in the night a big difference in the wind force on the two bridges. Østbrua is about twice as high as the vestbrua, and it will typically be the right wind speeds of østbrua, ” says Kim Agersø Nielsen, technical manager at Sund and Bælt to the Extra Blade.
At a press conference today, it was questioned whether it is within the guidelines to run a freight train across the bridge in such weather.
Six dead after togulykke in Denmark
– There are some of the things we shall investigate, respond politiinspektør Bræmhøj.
All the dead were passengers
All the dead in the accident were passengers. It is stated that 14 of the injured passengers are more easily injured and two are moderately injured.
Car-part of the bridge is now open to traffic, and police are asking people to not drive over the bridge to gaze at the scene of the accident.
We are asking people to show respect for those who work there and the injured.
STOPPAGES: Godstoget was on its way east from Copenhagen, while passasjertoget was on the way in the direction of Copenhagen. Godstoget are left behind on landsida at Nyborg, west of the bridge, while passasjertoget standing on the actual bridge. Photo: Michael Baker/Ritzau Scanpix / NTB scanpix Show more
