Rare heavy snowfall in China resulted in slippery tracks, leading to the subway collision
- Two subway trains collided in heavy snow in Beijing, resulting in 515 people being sent to the hospital on Thursday evening.
- The incident occurred in the mountainous west of Beijing, on the above-ground section of the Changping subway line.
- Slippery tracks triggered automatic braking on one train, while a following train skidded and was unable to brake in time.
Two subway trains collided in heavy snow in Beijing, sending 515 people to the hospital, including 102 with broken bones, authorities said Friday.
The accident occurred Thursday evening in Beijing’s mountainous west on an above-ground portion of the sprawling subway system’s Changping line.
Slippery tracks prompted automatic braking on the leading train. A train following from behind was on a descending section and went into a skid and was unable to brake in time, the city transport authority said in a statement Friday on its social media account.
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Emergency medical personnel, police and transport authorities responded, and all passengers were evacuated by about 11 p.m., it said. Twenty-five passengers were under observation and 67 remained hospitalized Friday morning, the authority said.
Police officers watch over near the site of a train collision on the western district in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2023. Two subway trains have collided in heavy snow, sending over 500 people to the hospital. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Unusually heavy snow that began falling Wednesday has prompted the suspension of some train operations and school closures.
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Alerts remain in place for icy roads, extreme cold and further snowfall. Temperatures were due to fall to minus 12 degrees Fahrenheit overnight.
No deaths have been reported from the winter storms that have struck a wide swath of northern China. Beijing's winters tend to be bitterly cold, but heavy snowfall is rare.
