Five critically injured in head-on train collision in North Zealand

A head-on collision between two trains in North Zealand has left 17 people injured, five of them in critical condition, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The crash occurred early Tuesday on the Gribskov line near Kragerup Station, between Hillerød and Kagerup. A total of 38 passengers were aboard the two trains when they collided.

Anders Damm-Hejmdal, chief physician for the regional emergency response, confirmed at a press briefing that the injured had been distributed across hospitals in the region, with the majority sent to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. The Danish Defence assisted with a rescue helicopter to transport patients.

“The number of critically injured may change,” Damm-Hejmdal said. “This is the current status, and we have an overview of all patients involved in this accident.”

Hillerød Municipality has established a crisis centre for uninjured passengers to be picked up by relatives.

Police described the accident as “very serious” and said investigations are underway, including by the Danish Accident Investigation Board, which examines rail and aviation incidents.

“We are conducting numerous investigations to gather necessary information about the sequence of events,” said Morten Pedersen, police inspector for North Zealand Police. “At this time, we cannot comment on the cause of the accident. That will be determined by our ongoing investigation.”

Emergency services deployed 18 vehicles and 47 personnel to the scene. The collision was reported to authorities at 06:29 local time.