Two trams collide on Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge, 15 injured

Fifteen people were injured, one of them seriously, when two trams collided on the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam on Wednesday morning, the regional safety board has said. One of the trams was derailed by the impact.

The crash happened at around 11.10am, regional broadcaster Rijnmond reported. Footage shows one tram coming to a halt as it drove onto the bridge from the direction of the city centre, before a second tram approached from behind and ran into it, apparently without braking.

The seriously injured person was trapped and had to be freed before being taken to hospital. The safety board initially reported 18 injured and two seriously hurt, but later revised the figures.

Transport company RET said it could not yet say what caused the rear-end collision, adding that it was shocked by the footage and that its thoughts were with the victims and passengers. Two cars were also damaged, the fire service said.

The power to the overhead lines was switched off and the bridge closed to traffic, halting tram services on lines 3 and 5.