Two passenger trains collide in Amsterdam

An  68-year-old woman from the eastern Netherlands died Sunday of injuries she received in a head-on train crash near Amsterdam. A total of 117 people were injured by the accident on Saturday. Of these, 42 serious injuries. 75 people were slightly injured, while 16 people were still being treated in the hospital. Most of the injured suffered from broken bones and bruises.

Yesterday two trains collided head-on just outside Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.

The accident happened at around 6.30pm local time [16:30 GMT] when a local train leaving Amsterdam (en route from Amsterdam to Uitgeest) hit a high-speed train (en route from Den Helder to Nijmegen) west of the city's Central Station at the height of the Westerpark - between Central Station and Sloterdijk.

Pictures from the scene showed the crushed front ends of both the trains and smashed windows in some of the carriages. Both trains were still on the rails and the double-decker intercity train sustained damage near some doors close to the impact.

While the damage did not appear too severe from the outside, the carriages on one of the trains were spacious and that may have led to injuries.

It is assume that many people were thrown around the train by the crash; against walls, seats and other people.

According to testimony from people on the train, the number is so high because many people were not seated. The local train from Amsterdam to Uitgeest had just left, while the intercity from Den Helder to Nijmegen station approached. Passengers were just so, or were still looking for a seat when trains hit each other head on.

An investigation into the cause of the collision is now under way.

Two separate investigations will focus on whether human error or a mechanical fault led to the trains colliding on the same stretch of track

Locomotives towed away both damaged trains Sunday, allowing technicians to study the tracks for damage. Rail officials warned of continuing disruptions to train traffic around Amsterdam.