One dead after passenger train hits crane and derails

One person has been killed and about 30 injured – some seriously – after a passenger train derailed in the western Netherlands.

Emergency services say the overnight crash happened after the train transporting about 50 people hit a construction crane near the village of Voorschoten.

A freight train is also reported to have been damaged.

Some people were treated at the scene, but 19 have been taken to hospital.

Local residents have been caring for those passengers with minor injuries.

The crash happened at about 03:25 local time (01:25 GMT) on Tuesday, tearing apart the train and bringing one of the overhead power lines down.

One carriage careered down the grassy slope, while another remained on the tracks. Most of the double-decker inter-city train’s lower windows were shattered.

“We heard a bang first and then later, a much more intense one,” one local resident told the AFP news agency.

“Then we heard people screaming. It was not good.”

Dutch construction firm BAM has told local media that one of its employees died in the collision.

Several investigations have been opened into the incident, including by ProRail – the governmental body responsible for the country’s rail networks.

“The crane was there to be used for maintenance,” its chief executive, John Voppen, told Reuters.

“I have been working in the rail industry for years and I don’t understand how this could have happened.”

The nearby Leiden Central station, which lies between The Hague and Amsterdam, has been closed.

No trains to and from the city are expected to run until at least 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

“This is an incredibly tragic accident,” said Voorschoten Mayor Nadine Stemerdink.

“We regret there was also a fatality. My thoughts go out to all the family and friends of those involved.”

The country’s Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, has expressed his condolences, as have the King and Queen.

“Our thoughts are with the victims of the train accident at Voorschoten and their families,” a statement from the Royal House reads.

“Many are now in fear and uncertainty. We deeply sympathise with all of them.”

This sort of incident is extremely rare in the Netherlands, where the rail systems are generally very safe.