A train accident that occurred on the Great Belt Bridge has claimed the lives of eight people.
The incident took place when a passenger train travelling towards the Danish capital of Copenhagen was hit by falling debris from a freight train during a severe storm. The accident forced the train to come to a stop on the bridge.
As well as the eight fatalities, 16 people were injured in the accident.
The train had 131 passengers and three crew members on board when the accident took place.
Emergency services were significantly disrupted by the ongoing storm as they rescued passengers.
A spokesman for the Danish Accident Investigation Board told the news agency that a preliminary investigation shows that a trailer had blown off a freight wagon onto the adjacent tracks, causing the collision.
The freight train involved in the accident is operated by DB Cargo, the logistics unit of German company Deutsche Bahn. It was carrying goods from Danish beer maker Carlsberg’s brewery in Fredericia to Copenhagen.
In a statement, Deutsche Bahn said that DB Cargo was on site and is supporting the ongoing investigation.
The bridge connects the two major Danish islands Zealand and Funen. It is part of the Great Belt, a rail and road transport system connecting Denmark and Sweden to Germany, carrying nearly 21,000 train passengers and around 27,000 road vehicles daily.
Danish rail operator Banedanmark said that railway operations on the bridge, which were suspended following the incident, are expected to resume today.
