Thirty hurt after two trams collide in France in rare event
At least 30 people were hurt after two trams collided in a tunnel in France's Strasbourg city on Saturday, a rare occurrence in the transport system.
Several pictures and videos of the mishap have gone viral on social media.
One of the videos showed smoke coming out from a tram and chaos prevailed with people shouting in panic following the accident.
A spokesman for the prefecture told BBC that an investigation into the cause of the accident has been opened and no fatalities have been confirmed.
France
— Zarghuna (@Xqueenoo7) January 12, 2025
Two trams collided in a tunnel near main trams station around 50 peoples were injured.
The collision was reportedly caused by a reverse maneuver by one of the two trams. pic.twitter.com/8fdBbQ8Dmj
Over 130 firefighters and 50 rescue vehicles were rushed to the scene to clear the area.
Mayor Jeanne Barseghian reached the spot and posted on X: "I am at the station, alongside the injured and the rescue workers. I thank them for their mobilization."
Accident de tram à Strasbourg : Je suis à la gare, aux côtés des blessés et des secouristes. Je les remercie pour leur mobilisation.
— Jeanne Barseghian (@JeanneBarsegh) January 11, 2025
While the exact cause of the mishap is still not known, some media reports claim one of the trams was reversing when the accident occurred.
According to reports, hundreds of other commuters, who were uninjured, were assessed for shock or stress.
Strasbourg reinstated tram service in 1994.
Until now, the city has not witnessed any major tram tragedy.
