At least 30 people were injured after two trams collided at Strasbourg’s central station on Saturday, authorities said.
Videos and photos posted on social media showed two trams with dozens of people inside. One video shows smoke rising and scenes of chaos as the alarm goes off.
Local media reported that the accident occurred after one of the trams changed tracks and collided with a stationary tram. Some reports said that one tram was reversing at the time.
The regional spokesperson said that an investigation has been opened into the cause of the accident and no one has been confirmed dead yet.
Strasbourg mayor Jeanne Barseghian told reporters at the scene that there had been a tram collision, but the cause was not yet known.
According to BFM TV, Barseghian asked people to wait for the results of the investigation.
Another eyewitness, Johan, told AFP news agency that he saw one of the trams speeding backwards, adding: “We heard a big impact, a big explosion.”
An eyewitness told BFM TV that the doors of the tram were thrown open.
The center reported that a large security perimeter had been set up in front of the station.
The Fire and Rescue Service in the Bas-Rhin region has been put on X urging people to avoid the area to allow the emergency services to reach the area.
The unit’s director, Rene Cellier, said the other non-fatal injuries reported were “mostly traumatic”, but included head injuries, broken clavicles, and knee injuries.
“There are approximately 100 people who do not have any injuries but are not seen by doctors,” said Cellier.
He added that approximately 50 vehicles and 130 firefighters were sent to the scene and said the situation “could have been worse”.
Emmanuel Auneau, director of CTS – responsible for public transport in Strasbourg – said the two tram drivers were “not physically injured, but very shocked”.
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