Train Collision Injures More Than 200

3 are in critical condition in Malaysia incident
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 25, 2021 12:39 AM CDT
More Than 200 Hurt in Train Collision
Rescue personnel help an injured passenger at KLCC station after two light rail trains collided in a tunnel, injuring more than 200 people in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, May 24, 2021.   (AP Photo)

Two light rail trains collided in a tunnel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, injuring more than 200 people, in the first major crash for the 23-year-old metro system, the AP reports. Pictures on social media after the Monday night collision showed bloodied passengers, some lying on the floor of the carriage strewn with blood and shattered glass. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong told local media that a metro train carrying 213 passengers collided with a vacant carriage on a test-run in a tunnel near the Petronas Towers, one of the world’s tallest twin towers. “One carriage was travelling at 20 kilometers per hour (12.4mph) and another at around 40 kilometers per hour (24.8mph) when the collision happened. This caused a significant jolt that threw some passengers out of their seats,” he was quoted as saying.

Federal Territory Minister Annuar Musa tweeted Tuesday that three passengers were in critical condition and have been intubated. More than 40 had serious injuries and another 160 had minor injuries. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin pledged a full investigation into the cause. Police said they suspected a miscommunication from the trains’ operation control center. The vacant carriage had a driver while the train with passengers was fully-automated and controlled by the operation center. The crash affected one of three light rail lines connecting Kuala Lumpur and surrounding suburbs. Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, a government-owned company that owns the metro system, said train services resumed Tuesday morning.

(More Malaysia stories.)

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