In the early morning in the Turkish capital Ankara an express train collided with a locomotive and derailed. At least seven people died and 46 were injured.
At least seven people were killed and 46 injured in a heavy train accident in the Turkish capital Ankara. That said the Governor of Ankara, Vasip Sahin, on Thursday morning in front of television cameras.
According to the governor, the train derailed because he had collided with a locomotive running on the same tracks. Parts of the train then crashed into an overpass. The construction, apparently made of metal, partially broke down on two wagons. The express train was on the way from Ankara to Konya, the accident site is located on the outskirts of the capital near the station Marsandiz.
Second heavy train accident within a few months
How fast the train was traveling, initially remained unclear. The authorities were unable to answer why two trains were allowed on the same tracks at the same time. According to the state news agency Anadolu, the Procuratorate in Ankara has opened an investigation.
Train accidents are not uncommon in Turkey. At least 24 people were killed in a serious accident in northwestern Turkey in July. More than 300 people had to be taken to hospitals injured. The train with 362 passengers on board was derailed after rains had washed away the track bed.
