28 injured in Singapore train collision
Emergency staff attend after a train collision at Singapore’s Joo Koon station on November 15, 2017.
A Singapore mass transit train collided early on Wednesday with another at a station, injuring 28 people, authorities said, the latest incident involving the city state’s railways.
Transit operator SMRT said 26 passengers and two staff suffered light to moderate injuries and have been taken to hospital.
The incident took place at 8:20am, SMRT said, adding that a faulty west-bound train had stalled at Joo Koon station on the system’s East-West line at 8:18am. A second train stopped behind the faulty train at the station at 8:19am but moved forward unexpectedly a minute later, coming into contact with the stationary train.
A photograph posted on the Straits Times website showed two trains stopped and in contact but with no major damage apparent.
Earlier, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that it had been alerted to an incident at the station at 8:33am.
The collision comes as the densely-populated country grapples with recent service disruptions on its mass rapid transit system, including a partial suspension of services during an October weekend due to flooding in a tunnel following heavy rains.
The mishaps led to a rare public apology by top transit executives in a country that prides itself in efficient public service and an assurance from the government to address the causes of the various glitches.
