by DAN CALLOWAY
Published 15 February 2010 @ 15:09 UTC
BRUSSELS – Two high speed railway trains collided head-on during rush hour traffic on Monday near the capital of Belgium about 10 miles southwest of Brussels.
The Belgian media has reported that the collision occurred in Buizingen, near Halle. The crash has left 11 dead and at least 55 injured. Officials of the Belgian National Railway told VRT radio that the death toll could be as high as 25.
Although it is unclear exactly what may have caused the crash, which occurred at 0830 local time, it appears that one of the trains failed to acknowledge a stop signal. There has been no confirmation that a third train may have been involved.
Local officials indicated that their current concern is evacuating all the individuals who may be trapped in the wreckage and any bodies that may be left behind.
Both the Eurostar and Thalys railways have suspended all train service in and out of Brussels until the wreckage can be cleared and the scene investigated. Thalys operates high speed service between Paris and London, but this line does not pass through Brussels and has not been affected.
Local witnesses to the collision indicated that the trains were traveling at relatively high speed when they collided head-on. The impact of the crash was so intense, said one eyewitness, that the front of the leading cars crashed deeply into one another forcing the trains to become elevated to the point that they severed overhead high power lines.
An amateur video of the aftermath of the crash has been obtained and posted in this article. The images show rescuers pulling the wounded from a car that has rolled onto its side. Several victims were placed on stretchers alongside of the track.
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