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Collision leaves multiple casualties in North Zealand
Five people are in critical condition and 13 others injured after two trains crashed head-on near a level crossing northwest of Copenhagen early Thursday, emergency services confirmed.
Incident details
The accident occurred at 06:29 local time (05:29 BST) on a single-track line connecting Hillerød and Kagerup in Denmark's North Zealand region. Police reported 37 passengers were on board the two trains at the time of impact.
Fire and rescue crews were dispatched immediately, with injured individuals transported to hospitals by ambulance and helicopter. Tim Ole Simonsen of the Greater Copenhagen fire department stated all casualties had been evacuated but could not confirm the cause of the collision.
Local and national response
Gribskov Mayor Trine Egetved, visibly shaken, called the crash "shocking" and stressed the need to prevent future incidents. "The local track serves many residents, workers, and students," she wrote on Facebook, adding that critically injured victims were airlifted to Copenhagen's National Hospital.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed deep concern, describing the accident as "terrible" in a statement to TV2.
Investigation underway
Denmark's Accident Investigation Board arrived at the scene Thursday morning to determine the cause. North Zealand police inspector Morten Pedersen told reporters it was too early to speculate but confirmed authorities were exploring all possibilities.
"We are looking at all hypotheses, including signaling system failures or human error," said Klaus Jensen, the board's railway unit manager, in an interview with TV2.
Operator reacts
Lokaltog, the train line's operator, described the collision as one of the "worst imaginable" in railway history. Safety Director Claus Pedersson confirmed staff injuries and stated the company was collecting data to identify the cause.
"Accidents like this happen occasionally, but the priority is learning from them," Pedersson told DR. He added that initial reports suggest one driver applied brakes and assisted in evacuating passengers.
Pedersson reassured passengers that train operators are "very competent," though an expert cited by media suggested a driver may have overridden a stop signal, placing the train on the wrong track. The Gribskov line lacks an automated safety system, according to reports.
Scene description
Public broadcaster DR aired footage of the damaged trains-yellow and grey-facing each other in a wooded area, both with severe front-end damage.
