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Police probe deadly train crash in Belgium

February 18, 2017

The crash occurred shortly after the train pulled out of the station in Leuven, bound for Brussels Airport. The crash shut down rail traffic on the route.

https://p.dw.com/p/2XpJd
Belgien | Zugunglück in der Nähe von Leuven
Image: Reuters/E. Vidal

A passenger train derailed outside the Belgian capital on Saturday, killing one person and injuring at least 20 people, two of them seriously.

The train had barely pulled out of the station in Leuven, bound for Brussels Airport about 12 miles (20 kilometers) away, when it derailed, leaving one car on its side. Authorities have begun an investigation to try to determine the cause of the accident.

Belgien | Zugunglück in der Nähe von Leuven
Image: Reuters/E. Vidal

Leuven Mayor Louis Tobback said the person who died was most likely not a passenger on the train, but someone on or near the tracks.

The crash occurred at about 1:20 p.m. local time (1220 UTC). Train service between Leuven and Brussels was suspended, including some trains heading to the airport.  

Interior Minister Jan Jambon tweeted his condolences, using an alternative spelling for Leuven: "Condolences to the victims and relatives of the train accident in #Leuven. Thanks to the emergency services for rapid intervention."

bik/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters)