A train carrying some 50 passengers has derailed in Voorschoten, a Dutch town near The Hague, after colliding with a construction crane that was first struck by a freight train.
One person has died and about 30 people were injured. Nineteen of them, including the passenger train operator, have been taken to hospital. Others were treated in houses in the surrounding area.
The person that died was an employee of Dutch construction-services business BAM, a spokesperson of the company confirmed with Dutch national broadcaster NOS.
The spokesperson also confirmed that the construction crane both trains collided with belonged to BAM.
The incident happened at around 3:25am local time. Emergency services including a trauma helicopter arrived at the scene shortly after.
An eye witness told NOS that a freight train hit the construction crane first, followed by the passenger train, which then derailed.
Television images showed people using makeshift bridges to cross the canal that runs alongside the rails in order to reach the stricken train in the darkness.
Many windows in the train carriages were broken. It was not clear if that happened during the accident or as passengers attempted to escape.
Photos from the scene showed two of the bright yellow and blue train carriages perpendicular to the tracks lying across a small canal and partially in a field.
What appeared to be the front of the train was badly damaged. Other parts of the train were partially derailed.
Ingrid de Roos, a spokeswoman for local fire services, told news show WNL that a small fire broke out at the rear of the train but was quickly extinguished.
The driver of the freight train has been medically examined and is fine, said freight operator DB Cargo.
Railway maintenance on two of the tracks
ProRail, the Dutch governmental organisation responsible for railway maintenance, was working on the tracks at the site of the accident, John Voppen, CEO of ProRail said during a press conference.
"The crane was being used for maintenance on the two tracks that were not in use," Mr Voppen said.
When asked how the accident could have taken place if the crane was being used on the closed-off tracks, Mr Voppen said the cause of the incident was still unclear and would be investigated.
Police announced at the press conference that the Dutch Public Prosecution Service was launching an investigation to see if any criminal offences have been committed that caused the incident.
“A terrible train accident near Voorschoten, where unfortunately one person died and many people were injured," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a tweet.
"My thoughts are with the relatives and with all the victims. I wish them all the best,”
Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima also expressed their sympathy in a tweet.
