China - Around 100 people injured in subway accident in Beijing
More than a hundred people have been injured in a train accident in the Chinese capital Beijing. According to the city's transport authority, more than 500 people were hospitalized in the accident on Friday night (local time). Just over 100 suffered broken bones. There were no fatalities.
Two carriages of an above-ground subway line were torn apart on the open track. The course of the accident has not yet been conclusively clarified. According to state media, the authorities provisionally assume that the snow-covered, slippery track led to an unsuccessful braking maneuver and subsequently to the collision and uncoupling of the carriages. According to eyewitnesses, people fell from their seats and windows shattered when the two carriages collided. People were reportedly trapped in the carriages for up to an hour until rescuers freed them. Photos online showed the two damaged train sections standing apart from each other.
Heavy snowfall
According to official figures, 423 people left the hospital on Friday morning and 67 were admitted as inpatients. Shortly after the accident at around 19:00 on Thursday evening (local time), there was initially talk of 30 people being injured.
It has snowed a lot in Beijing and northern China in recent days. Long-distance trains ran with significant delays or were partially canceled. Kindergartens remained closed. Primary and secondary schools switched to online teaching. Beijing, with a population of around 21.8 million, has one of the largest subway networks in the world with 27 lines.
The train on the Changping line was traveling out of the city on the outskirts of Beijing at the time of the accident. According to "China Daily", the line transports around 400,000 people on weekdays.
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The subway accident in Beijing highlights the potential risks associated with transportation during adverse weather conditions, as heavy snowfall in the area caused significant delays and cancellations for long-distance trains. This incident on the Changping line, known for transporting over 400,000 people daily, resulted in numerous injuries, with over 100 individuals requiring hospitalization due to broken bones. In such situations, the urban transportation system, including subway networks like Beijing's, must handle unforeseen obstacles effectively to ensure passenger safety.
Source: www.stern.de
