AMSTERDAM — At least one person was killed and about 30 others injured when a passenger train derailed near The Hague on Tuesday, Dutch officials said.
“A terrible train accident,” said the Netherlands’ prime minister, Mark Rutte. “My thoughts are with the bereaved families and with all the victims.”
The train, carrying 50 passengers, was on its way to The Hague from a nearby city, Leiden, when it derailed near the suburb of Voorschoten at about 3:25 a.m., according to safety officials for the Dutch region of Hollands Midden.
The train had struck a crane, said Jeroen Wienen, a spokesman for the Dutch rail authority, ProRail. A freight train, on a different track, also hit the crane, he said. The two trains did not collide with each other, and the details of what had happened were unclear, Mr. Wienen said. He said ProRail had started an investigation.
Several dozen injured people were treated at the scene and taken to hospitals, Hollands Midden officials said in a statement. Some were being cared for in nearby homes.
“This is an incredibly tragic accident,” said Nadine Stemerdink, the mayor of Voorschoten. “My thoughts go out to all the family and friends of the people involved.”
Work was underway on Tuesday morning to secure the area around the site, the Voorschoten government said. It asked residents to stay away from the site to make room for emergency responders.
The Dutch railway, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, said train service to and from Leiden would be suspended at least until late afternoon Tuesday. The Dutch Safety Board, an independent administrative body that conducts investigations in the Netherlands, said representatives were on their way to the site of the derailment.
Claire Moses reported from Amsterdam, and John Yoon reported from Seoul.
