515 injured as Metro trains collide in China

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BEIJING: A total of 515 people were taken to the hospital, including 102 with broken bones, when two Metro trains collided amid heavy snow here in China’s capital, authorities said on Friday.

The accident occurred when slippery tracks prompted emergency braking of the leading train, and the rear train, following from a downhill section, slid and failed to brake effectively, resulting in a collision, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said in a statement on Friday.

The accident took place on Thursday night in the city’s mountainous west on an above-ground portion of the Changping line which serves the city’s northern region, including the hi-tech hub of Xierqi and the Ming Tombs.

After the accident, 515 people were sent to the hospital, among whom 102 were found with fractures, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. It added that no fatalities were recorded.