One dead and several injured as Danish train hits tanker and derails

Details emerge of the derailment near the town of Ringsted

Danesborg Railway Station, approximately
20 kilometres west of Copenhagen, is the site of a major accident on the Danish network.

A train coming from the port city of Korsør towards the capital collided with a tanker that was obstructing a level crossing just before 7:00 am UTC+2.

The situation

The train driver died and six others were injured. It is still uncertain how many passengers were on the train, but according to Denmark's railway company DSB, there were
between 100 and 150 travellers.

All
trains in the region have been halted, and alternative transport services have been organised.

The tanker

It is unclear how the tanker got there and why the level crossing's barriers were down. According to local
media, the tanker was not involved in an accident, but it was later reported that the vehicle had been involved in an earlier traffic incident.

Investigations

The Danish Railway Accident Investigation Board (
DARIB) has launched an investigation into the accident. The agency's acting CEO, Thomas Kristensen, confirmed that the train collided with the tanker at a high speed, resulting in the train derailing.