Train collision in central Switzerland injures 33
A train collision on Monday morning in the central Swiss town of Andermatt injured 33 passengers, mostly young children.
The cantonal police (Andermatt is in the Uri canton of central Switzerland) confirmed that the accident took place around 11.30am in the main station of the town.
At the end of the day, they also confirmed that the final number of injuries was thirty-three. There were no fatalities and no life-threatening injuries.
Eighteen of the injured were schoolchildren, some of whom had to be transported to hospital. Two Dutch travellers were also among those hurt.
According to the Swiss News Agency, the train was operated by the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn, also known for operating the Glacier Express to Zermatt in the southern Swiss Alps.
The head of the train, which consisted of one locomotive and five carriages and which was transporting 100 people, was changing tracks in the main station of Andermatt when the accident occurred.
The road between Göschenen and Andermatt, near the north entrance to the Gotthard tunnel, was subsequently closed for much of the afternoon, to allow rescue staff better access.
The police opened a hotline, available at 041 874 53 60, for those seeking emergency information about relatives.
Andermatt, a historic ski town near the crossroads of several Swiss cantons, has been the site of extensive touristic development in recent years, notably driven by the Egyptian billionaire developer Samih Sawiris.
swissinfo.ch and agencies/dos
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