Updated on
Summary
One person received minor injuries and surrounding buildings had to be evacuated after an empty train crashed into the central train station in Helsinki, Finland on Monday. The accident happened at 7.12 GMT as a intercity train that was being towed to Helsinki central train station lost brake power. Four carriages weighing approximately 70 tons were disconnected from train and crashed into the building at a speed of 20-30km/h. There were no passengers onboard the train. Rescue worker Kalle Taiplinen from the fire department said faulty brakes caused the accident. They were moving the train and about it went 100 or 200 meters before they noticed that the brakes were not working. So, for some unknown reason carriages from this train got separated and smashed into the station building, without anybody being able to control them, Taiplinen said. A Holiday Inn hotel and the offices of Ernest and Young were evacuated after the crash. Officials fear that the buildings may collapse if the train is moved.Exactly above the crash site, there are offices which we emptied. The hotel itself is right next to those offices, so the situation is normalized now, from that aspect. What happens now is that it should be investigated whether or not the train can be towed and if the building above can collapse if we move the train out Taiplinen said. All train traffic in a 40 kilometer radius of Helsinki main station stopped after the accident and local media reports that there will be delays throughout Monday.
