A train en route from Copenhagen to Sonderborg derailed on Friday after a collision with a car at a road crossing in Southern Denmark, Danish police have said. Police said one person died and a number of others were injured, including two victims who were airlifted to hospitals.
The accident happened at the outskirts of Kliplev, near Denmark's German border. National railway company Banedanmark said there were no warning signs or barriers at the crossing where the accident happened. Police spokesman Gert Bisgaard is quoted as saying the lack of these safety features is now a top priority in the investigation process.
Photos from the scene, sent by Danish broadcaster TV2, depicted one train carriage torn apart and on its side. Local media cited at least two carriages were derailed in the crash.
There were 95 passengers on board at the time, 25 of them schoolchildren from Sonderborg. No students suffered serious injuries, but town authorities reported that they were understandably shaken up by the experience. Emergency responders arrived quickly, giving medical care and taking those injured aboard.
After the crash, national rail company DSB suspended all services along the Kliplev to Tinglev route. Officials have not yet disclosed information about the car that was involved in the accident, and experts are still trying to establish the chronology of events.
The crash has brought to light concerns over the safety of Denmark's unmarked railway crossings and raised questions over whether more safety precautions are necessary to avoid such disasters in the future.
As communities within the area try to come to terms with the shock of the incident, officials have assured that assistance is being provided to all passengers and families affected by it.
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