Two metro trains collided at rush hour on December 14 in Beijing, China, leaving 103 people seriously injured. Over 500 individuals were transported to a hospital following the accident, which occurred at 19:00 local time, according to Chinese official media. The trains derailed on the Chanping subway line during the worst snowstorm the Chinese capital has seen in recent memory, according to China Daily.
Although 425 patients have been released from the hospital, the remaining patients are now undergoing treatment by medical professionals for various fractures. Even though Beijing experiences snowstorms annually, these mishaps “are not common” in the capital city’s transportation network, according to China Daily.
Due to a “signal degradation” brought on by the snowstorm, the first subway train suddenly broke down. The second subway car was unable to stop in time as it was descending the tracks, leading to the collision with the rear of the first car, according to a statement from Beijing’s transport officials. According to the authorities, the impact was so powerful that the first train’s final two carriages detached.
Commuters crammed onto trains were left in the dark due to power disruptions caused by the incident, as shown in several images and videos posted on Chinese social media. In order to get some air, some of them are seen smashing windows with the emergency hammers provided by the train.
Thousands of Chinese users took to the social networking site Weibo to voice their outrage at the accident’s severity, the high number of casualties, and the continued “unsafe” state of China’s public transportation system. Others said that the Chinese government was treating the deaths of numerous Chinese people “too lightly” because to the lack of regular inspections in Beijing Subway, which issued an apology statement on its Weibo account.
