Train Collision Accident Kills 18 People, Injures 162 More

In Halle, Belgium, at least 18 people were killed and around 162 were injured in a head-on collision of two trains operated by Infrabel and SNCB.

The crash occurred at 8:30 a.m. during rush hour when a commuter train reportedly ignored a red light and plowed straight into another train coming from a Brussels station. Both trains were carrying around 300 passengers.

The impact of the crash threw one train off the tracks and crushed and peeled away the front of the other train which caused the mutilation of the bodies of some of the passengers. The death toll remains uncertain as rescuers still continue to scour the wreckage for more bodies.

This is the worst train accident in Belgium. The last accident occurred way back in 2001 where eight people died after a crowded train plowed into an empty train driving on the wrong tracks. Authorities suggested that the accident occurred because two of confusion between a French-speaking signalman and a Flemish-speaking one.

Although Governor Lodewijk De Witte of the province of Flemish Brabant told reporters that one of the trains failed to stop at a red signal, investigators are also looking into the possibility that the accident may have been caused by the icy weather.

The train accident in Brussels is an echo of the Chatsworth collision in 2008. A Metrolink train collided head-on with a freight train after it ran a red light because the engineer was distracted and texting right before the accident. 27 people died and 135 were injured. Several claims for damages have been filed against Metrolink for the deaths and injuries suffered by the passengers.

Passengers who are injured in train collisions, or the family members of deceased passengers have a right to pursue legal damages against the train operator.

Under the law, common carriers have the duty to make sure that their cargo or passengers safely reach their destinations and they are often presumed to be negligent if a passenger suffers injuries during transportation.

Also, most train accidents are caused by human error and as a common carrier, trains are liable for the actions and errors of their employees.

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