An accident in the heart of Strasbourg. Two trams collided at the stop serving the central station of the city of Bas-Rhin on Saturday February 11 in the afternoon, leaving at least 36 injured, according to a new report from the Minister of Transport. “We say to ourselves that we came very close to a much bigger catastrophe”commented Philippe Tabarot, who clarified that the accident did not cause any deaths and that none of the injured were in absolute emergency. Here is what we know so far about this accident, including The precise circumstances are still unclear.
An investigation opened to determine the causes of the accident
The accident occurred on Saturday afternoon in the tunnel leading to the stop serving Strasbourg central station. “There was a brutal collision between two trams, on the platform, under the station”explained the mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, during a press briefing late in the afternoon. The elected official mentioned and “frontal impact following a reversing of a tram”. “Today, we do not know what caused this backward movement of the tram”she tempered, calling for caution.
The director of the CTS transport company, Emmanuel Auneau, clarified that he was “much too early” to establish precisely the circumstances of the accident. “The drivers need to be able to explain to us” the maneuvers which caused this collision, he added. It is currently unknown whether there was “a human or material error”added the Minister of Transport.
An investigation into involuntary injuries was opened and the investigations were entrusted to the Strasbourg police station, announced the deputy public prosecutor of Strasbourg. “The first investigations made it possible to rule out the hypothesis of a voluntary act”he said in a press release.
Around thirty injured, but no absolute emergency
The accident caused “around 36 injured”announced Saturday evening on BFMTV the Minister responsible for Transport, Philippe Tabarot. A little earlier, the director of the Bas-Rhin fire and rescue services, René Cellier, had announced a “fifty” of injuries in relative urgency, evoking in particular “scalp wounds”, a few “clavicle fractures” or even “a sprained knee”. The accident did not cause any deaths and none of the injured are in absolute emergency, according to the authorities.
In addition to the injured, “around a hundred additional people are involved”according to the head of the Bas-Rhin fire and rescue services, who reports travelers without any particular injuries, but who are examined at the scene of the accident “before they can go home”. The two tram drivers were not “physically injured”but are “extremely shocked”added for his part the general director of the CTS. Around fifty vehicles and around 130 firefighters were on site.
“Significant disruptions” on the network
This accident caused“significant disruptions” on tram lines, reported the CTS on its X traffic information account. Tram lines A, C, D and bus lines G, H, 2 and 10 “will not be able to serve the Gare Centrale stop until further notice”, warned the company on Saturday evening.
