An evening rush-hour crash on the Beijing metro left 102 people with fractures after a rear-end collision on an above-ground section of tracks, state media reported yesterday.
The Chinese capital has been hit by snowstorms in the past few days, affecting operating conditions and resulting in transport delays across the city.
The crash occurred at 6:57pm on Thursday when the final two cars of a metro train separated from the carriages in front of them, authorities reported.
Photo: AFP
As of about 11pm, “515 people were sent to the hospital for examination, of which 102 suffered fractures,” state-run broadcaster CCTV reported yesterday.
By 6am, 423 people had been released from the hospital, CCTV reported, adding that 67 others were still receiving treatment while 25 people were under observation.
No deaths had been recorded, it said.
Photo: AP
A preliminary investigation into the incident found the snowy weather had caused slippery tracks and a “signal degradation,” resulting in a rear-end collision, the report said.
People on social media reported seeing passengers fall to the ground, with some complaining of back pain.
Media images showed people on the floor and partial lighting outages, while some commuters used emergency hammers to try to break the train windows to escape.
In other videos, firefighters were seen helping to evacuate an elderly rider, while people made their way through deep snow to leave the scene.
The train was traveling on an above-ground section of track when the crash happened near Xierqi Station as it headed toward Changping District.
“We sincerely apologize for the accident that occurred this evening,” Beijing Subway, the train’s operator, said on social media. “Passengers who left the premises unaccompanied during the evacuation and who are not feeling well can contact us at any time. We will take on the cost of care.”
Meanwhile, a cold wave extended its grip over China, with temperatures plummeting to below freezing across most of the country.
Temperatures were forecast drop to below minus-40°C in parts of Heilongjiang Province and in Xinjiang region, along with Inner Mongolia and Gansu and Qinghai provinces, the Chinese National Meteorological Center said.
The city of Yichun in Heilongjiang might see a January 1980 record of minus-47.9°C broken early next week as severe weather conditions set in.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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