TRAM SLAMS INTO PEDESTRIANS AT FULL SPEED: "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT"
A tram has derailed and crashed into a food kiosk in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, injuring eight people, including the driver of the tram and the kiosk worker.
"The speed was high, and the tram couldn't turn left, so it went straight and crashed into a pizzeria," a police spokesperson stated. "I've never seen anything like it in my life," said Emil Österberg, a witness who works at a restaurant across the street. "The tram came at full speed, probably over 50-60 kilometers per hour, it didn't brake," Österberg added, interviewed by Swedish public service TV, SVT. The tram was supposed to slow down, make a stop, and then turn left, but instead it went straight for reasons that are still under investigation.
Investigation Underway
Police have launched an investigation and will utilize material from surveillance cameras in addition to technical findings. Gothenburg's transport company, which operates the trams, has also opened an internal investigation: "It can happen that a tram derails, but it often happens at very low speed. For it to lead to these types of consequences is very rare," said Malin Andersson, CEO of Göteborgs Spårvägar.
Most of the injured have already been discharged from the hospital, but three remain hospitalized, and their conditions are currently unknown.
What safety measures do you think could be implemented to prevent similar high-speed tram derailments in urban areas?
