Trains Collide in Belgium

**Louis VI the Fat** · 02-15-2010, 12:47

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.
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.
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.
Witnesses said people were thrown around violently inside the trains with one passenger describing the "carriages compacted together" by the collision.

'Enormous devastation'
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.
Belgium's track operator Infrabel said an investigation into the accident was under way.
"The devastation is enormous," said Infrabel spokesman Bram De Saedeleer.

More plus video here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8515855.stm

Very sad.

One train seems to have ignored a red light.
The way these stories tend to evolve, the death toll will rise as we learn more.

**Fragony** · 02-15-2010, 12:49

25 by now. Moros is from there I hope he is ok.

**Hax** · 02-15-2010, 12:55

I think Moros is in Leuven, actually. But seriously, strength to the family and friends of the deceased.

**gaelic cowboy** · 02-15-2010, 12:57

Is it my imagination or has there been more than one crash in belgium in the last couple of years.
News here said twenty dead very sad sympathys with all.

**Louis VI the Fat** · 02-15-2010, 13:12

Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy

Is it my imagination or has there been more than one crash in belgium in the last couple of years.
News here said twenty dead very sad sympathys with all.

That's my imression too.

Google revealed a whopping ten train crashes in Belgium this past decade, including the infamous one that was caused because of the language barrier. (Don't have a link in English)

Belgium is a small country, but it also has Europe's densest railroad system. Accounting for both, I do not know if it compares badly to other countries.

**gaelic cowboy** · 02-15-2010, 13:24

Yeah I figured geography might have a role in this obviously the railways bunch up from across Europe in Belgium.

**Andres** · 02-15-2010, 13:31

Originally Posted by Fragony

25 by now. Moros is from there I hope he is ok.

Moros is from Limburg and studies in Leuven; if he goes by train, he doesn't need to go through Brussels or Halle. He probably has a direct connection to Leuven from Genk or Hasselt.

My wife takes the train from Halle to Brussels every day. Fortunately, she takes the train at 7.15 am, about an hour before the accident happened. I called her at work just to be sure, parents and father in law were panicking already (some of the first news bulletins weren't very clear about the exact time of the accident); pretty scary stuff.

I had a 5 minute freak out, can't even start to imagine what other people are going through. My condolences to all the people who had a relative or friend on one of those trains.