Two subway trains collided amid heavy snow in Beijing, sending 515 people to hospital, including 102 with broken bones
December 15, 2023, 2:16 a.m. ET
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BEIJING – Two subway trains collided during heavy snow in Beijing, sending 515 people to 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 Changping Line of the sprawling subway system.
Slippery tracks caused the leading train to automatically brake. A train following from behind skidded on a sloping section and was unable to brake in time, the city transport authority announced on its social media account on Friday.
Emergency medical personnel, police and transport authorities responded and all passengers were evacuated around 11pm, it said. Twenty-five passengers were under observation and 67 remained hospitalized Friday morning, the agency said.
Unusually heavy snowfall that began Wednesday has led to the suspension of some train services and school closures.
Warnings remain in place for icy roads, extreme cold and further snowfall. Temperatures were expected to drop to minus 11 degrees Celsius (12 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
No deaths have been reported from the winter storms that hit large parts of northern China. Winters in Beijing are usually bitterly cold, but heavy snowfall is rare.