Hannover tram crash as 12 injured after 2 derail with ‘mass casualty’ alert issued

A major collision has left 12 passengers injured after two trams collided with each other and derailed in Linden-Süd, Hannover, Germany, sparking a huge emergency response

Two trams have derailed in horror collision earlier today (May 27) with several passengers being injured, according to the local fire department.

At around midday, two trams reportedly collided with each around Linden-Süd in Hannover, Germany. The force of the collision saw both trams derail and injure 12 passengers.

The incident sparked a huge response from emergency services with many firefighters and paramedics responding to the scene.

In response to the magnitude of collision, the fire department then triggered the alarm code “MANV 10”, which in Germany means the alert for a mass casualty incident of over 10 people.

Hannover public transport company ÜSTRA said the incident occurred on Ritter-Brüning-Straße near the Allerweg stop.

The trams, one on line 13 heading towards Wettbergen and the other on line three heading towards Altwarmbüchen collided for reasons that are still unclear. The force of the crash reportedly pushed one car against the elevated platform, according to Hannover Fire Department.

The fire department and rescue service were on scene with 60 personnel and 24 vehicles. The fire service said passengers on one tram were able to disembark unharmed but the other tram had seen 12 of the 20 passenger on board being injured.

Seven people in total required hospital treatment but the two tram drivers were reportedly unharmed.

In a statement, Hannover Fire Department said: “While all passengers of the train that had come to a stop at the station were able to disembark unharmed and continue their journey by other means, around 20 passengers remained in the Line 3 train that was stopped at the intersection. However, they were not trapped or confined inside the vehicle.”

The continued: “Firefighters set up temporary exits and helped the remaining passengers leave the train. All passengers were examined by paramedics and given initial treatment by emergency medical services. Twelve passengers sustained injuries; initially, six were taken to hospitals in Hanover to rule out serious injuries. A seventh person was subsequently transported to the hospital as well. The two train drivers were unharmed.”

During the emergency response to the incident, Ritter-Brüning-Straße was completely closed, and ÜSTRA provided a rail replacement bus service.

No information is currently available regarding the property damage or the cause of the accident but the police have launched an investigation.

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