Several people were killed on Wednesday morning in an accident involving a commuter train on the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, a spokeswoman for the Danish police told CNN.
Danish public broadcaster TV2 and other Danish media put the number killed at six. The accident, which involved two trains, occurred on a bridge linking the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, the police spokeswoman said. Police were first called at 7:35 am local time, she said. Passengers have been evacuated from the train.
A spokesman for brewing company Carlsberg told CNN that Carlsberg beer was being transported on a freight train over the bridge.
“The train was carrying our goods apparently, but we do not transport our own goods in Denmark,” said Kasper Elbjorn from Carlsberg, which has its headquarters in Copenhagen. The beer was carried by Deutsche Bahn Cargo Scandinavia, he said.
No cause for the accident has been established yet by police but the two trains may have had contact, the police spokeswoman said.
Danish police cannot yet confirm the number of dead, nor who the victims are, the spokeswoman said. All possible causes are being investigated.
Passenger Jim Nielson, who is from Denmark but lives in Ireland, told CNN he was going to the airport to catch a flight back after the holidays when the incident occurred.
“I was on the second coach when the crash happened. There was a cargo train coming from Zealand, the opposite direction. It was shaking due to the strong wind,” he said.
“One of the containers was blown off the cargo train into the rails, because of the wind. Our driver tried to stop the train, pulling the brake. But the train continued to drive a bit, and crashed into the container blown off from the cargo.
“I saw sparks coming from the wheels. I ducked and bumped my head. Ten seconds later I heard a sudden bang. Then the train came into a halt. There was a lot of confusion, total darkness. Passengers on the first coach took the hardest hit, I believe that's where most of the casualties are.”
Nielson said the train was very crowded at the time. Emergency services arrived within 10 to 15 minutes, he said, and used special equipment to open the doors, which were jammed.
Nielson is now in the city of Nyborg, on Funen, with scores of others from the train, he said. “It's a bad way to start the New Year, but I'm glad to be safe,” he added.
