Police reported that the trains had been travelling at high speed, though exact speeds remain unknown. A head-on train collision near Copenhagen has left five people critically injured and at least 18 others hurt. The crash occurred on Thursday morning at a level crossing at Isterødvejen, near Hillerød, a town approximately 19 miles (30km) north-west of the Danish capital. Emergency services received a report of the collision shortly before 6:30am.
Details of the Incident
Photographs from the scene depict the two trains positioned head-to-head, with one of them substantially crushed at the front. North Zealand police confirmed that technical investigations are underway but declined to comment immediately on the nature of the collision. They noted that the trains were moving quickly, but precise speeds have not yet been established.
Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's acting prime minister, expressed being "very moved by the terrible train accident on the Gribskov line this morning." In a statement to TV2, she said, "Several people are in a critical condition. My thoughts go out to the injured, their relatives and everyone affected by the accident." The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, offered assistance in responding to the incident, but Danish police declined the offer.
Rescue and Medical Response
All 37 passengers were evacuated from the two trains, and a military helicopter assisted in transporting patients to hospitals. Anders Heimdal, chief physician for the Copenhagen region's emergency services, reported "a lot of different injuries," adding that "people were thrown around." Christoffer Buhl Martekilde, a fire and rescue service leader, told reporters, "The two trains collided head-on, causing large damage to them and sending broken glass flying everywhere."
Investigation into Causes
At a press conference, Inspector Morten Pedersen stated it was "far too early" to determine whether signal errors caused the collision. He added, "It is certain that information about, among other things, signal errors will be included in the overall picture." Denmark's accident investigation board confirmed they are collecting evidence and examining whether the problem stemmed from technical issues with signalling systems and rails, or if "human factors" were involved.
Claus René Pedersson, safety director at Lokaltog, which operates the line, explained that the route has a single track for trains travelling in both directions. Employees of the train company were among the injured. He emphasised that such a collision "should not be possible," stating, "We do everything in our daily lives to ensure that it does not happen with signalling systems and training for drivers." He added, "Fortunately, this happens very, very, very rarely, and therefore we now have to find out how on earth it can happen."
A crisis centre was established in Hillerød for passengers and relatives. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the crash.
