Head-on train collision near Copenhagen leaves five critically injured

Two trains have collided head-on in Denmark, injuring at least 18 people, five of whom are in a critical condition.

The crash happened on Thursday morning at a level crossing at Isterødvejen, near Hillerød, a town about 19 miles (30km) north-west of Copenhagen. Emergency services received a report of the collision just before 6.30am.

Photographs from the scene showed the two trains head-to-head, one of them substantially crushed at the front.

North Zealand police said technical investigations were under way, but would not immediately comment on the nature of the collision. The trains had been travelling fast but exact speeds were not yet known, they said.

Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s acting prime minister, said in a statement that she was “very moved by the terrible train accident on the Gribskov line this morning”. She told TV2: “Several people are in a critical condition. My thoughts go out to the injured, their relatives and everyone affected by the accident.”

The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said he had offered help in responding to the incident. Danish police said they had declined the offer.

A local safety director said such accidents happen ‘very, very, very rarely’. Photograph: Steven Knap/EPA

All of the 37 passengers were removed from the two trains and a military helicopter helped to fly patients to hospital. The Copenhagen region’s emergency services chief physician, Anders Heimdal, said there were “a lot of different injuries”, adding: “It’s people being thrown around.”

A fire and rescue service leader, Christoffer Buhl Martekilde, told reporters: “The two trains collided head-on, causing large damage to them and sending broken glass flying everywhere.”

Asked at a press conference whether signal errors could have caused the collision, Insp Morten Pedersen said it was “far too early” to say. He added: “It is certain that information about, among other things, signal errors will be included in the overall picture.”

A crisis centre was set up for passengers and relatives in Hillerød.

Police arrive at the scene of the accident, near Hillerød. Photograph: Steven Knap/EPA

Denmark’s accident investigation board said they were still collecting evidence but that they were looking into whether the problem was the result of technical issues with the signalling systems and the rails and whether “human factors” were involved.

Claus René Pedersson, the safety director at Lokaltog, which operates the line, said it had a single track for trains travelling in both directions. Employees of the train company were among the injured, he said.

The collision of two trains, he said, “should not be possible”, telling the broadcaster DR “we do everything in our daily lives to ensure that it does not happen with signalling systems and training for drivers”.

Pedersson added: “Fortunately, this happens very, very, very rarely, and therefore we now have to find out how on earth it can happen.”