Trains collide near Zurich: Driver, 5 passengers injured
Two passengers trains have collided near the station of Rafz in canton Zurich. The exact cause of the accident remains unknown.
Cantonal police say that six persons are known to have been injured so far, including a 49-year-old train driver who sustained serious injuries. The collision between the Rafz-Schaffhausen regional commuter train and the Zurich-Schaffhausen intercity express occurred around 6:45 am on Friday. Both trains had an instructor and a trainee driver at the helm.
The train driver of the intercity express had to be extracted from the cab and airlifted to hospital. The police said the other five persons – three men and two women between 25 and 46 years of age – sustained minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to hospital.
According to the police, a so-called edge collision threw the intercity train off the track, and both trains came to a halt on a bridge just outside the station. The regional train suffered only superficial damages.
Numerous emergency vehicles, including helicopters, were on the scene. In addition, a team of specialists was on site to prevent fuel leaking from the engine. The police did not report the cause of the accident.
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Footage from the scene
The cause of the accident is under investigation. The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) has visited the site.
The train line between Zurich and Schaffhausen is currently interrupted at the site of the accident. According to the Swiss Federal Railways, intercity trains between Zurich and Stuttgart will be rerouted over Winterthur until further notice. Disruptions to the line are expected to last until Saturday night.
Eyewitness images were shared on social media:
Rafz: il s agit d une prise en écharpe: les trains circulaient dans la même direction. 5 blessés dont 1 grave pic.twitter.com/z8wPKtdfFDExternal link
— Anne Fournier (@AnneFournier5) February 20, 2015External linkZwei Personenzüge im Bahnhof Rafz kollidiert – mehrere Verletzte. http://t.co/FwX6IGlJIMExternal link pic.twitter.com/vED7x9XMPLExternal link
— watson (@watson_news) February 20, 2015External linkMap of the area
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