More than 30 people were injured in an accident on the Beijing subway during rush hour on Thursday evening when two carriages separated from a train on an above-ground section, according to authorities.
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“The scene of the accident was evacuated and all the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment,” the Chinese capital’s transport department said on the social network Weibo.
“We have registered more than 30 injuries so far. No deaths have been reported,” he said.
The incident occurred at 6:57 p.m. (10:57 GMT), according to the same source, when the last two carriages of a subway train separated from those in front of them.
There are reports on social media of people falling to the ground or complaining of pain in their kidneys.
The media circulated images showing passengers remaining calm in a partially darkened carriage or others using emergency hammers to break a window and get off the train.
Other videos show a crowd of travelers trying to evacuate the scene of the accident by walking on the snow that fell heavily on Thursday, or firefighters helping an elderly person move.
The train was not in a tunnel, but in an above-ground section near Xi'erqi Station. He was on his way to Changping, a district in the north of the Chinese capital.
“We deeply apologize for the accident that occurred this evening,” Beijing Subway, the Beijing subway operator, said on Weibo.
“Passengers who left the area alone during the evacuation and are not feeling well can contact us at any time. We cover the costs of care.”
Incidents of this kind are relatively uncommon in major cities in China, while major cities are in most cases relatively new, modern and safe.