Horrific Train Crash in Belgium..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8515855.stm

Two passenger trains in Belgium have collided head-on near the capital, Brussels, with the latest reports of the death toll ranging from 10 to 25. Railway officials said the trains collided during the morning rush hour at Halle, south-west of Brussels.
The national railway said 25 people had died. Other officials said there had been at least 10 deaths.
Belgian media said the trains collided in snowy conditions. Trains to southern Belgium and beyond have been cancelled.
'Enormous devastation'
The trains collided in the commuter town around 0830 local time (0730GMT) on Monday.
Television pictures showed carriages pushed up at an angle or leaning to the side from the force of the crash.
Witnesses said people were thrown around violently inside the trains with one passenger describing the "carriages compacted together" by the collision.

Just heard on the radio that they're performing amputations at the scene of the crash...

You just down expect something like this in a country like Belgium..

enda1

Deleted User wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8515855.stm



Just heard on the radio that they're performing amputations at the scene of the crash...

You just down expect something like this in a country like Belgium..

Its not the first and it won't be the last.

Look here -> http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055828584

eddie the eagle

thats shocking, and at that hour of the morning too. luckily the death toll wasn't higher. i hope it was only paedophiles that were killed

eddie the eagle

eddie the eagle wrote: »

i hope it was only paedophiles that were killed

Halle was famous for it's chocolate..

WIZE

Save the Chocolate :eek:

That_Guy

Heard this on the radio this morning. Not sure what the latest developments are with this but it sounds absolutely horrific.

When I heard it the reporter was saying that 20 people were pronounced dead. I hope that toll hasn't risen.

Cookie_Monster

what makes it "Horrific" as per title

Sea Sharp

Just sitting there reading your Herard AM on the way to work then BAM!

bonerm

eddie the eagle wrote: »

paedophiles

Deleted User wrote: »

Halle was famous for it's chocolate..

It finally makes sense!

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what makes it "Horrific" as per title

Probably all the dead people.

Looks as tho they really smashed into each other hard? Wonder what sort of speeds were involved? I always sit at the back of a train just for this very reason (tho that said if one of the trains was stationary and had been rammed then I'd be dead now .... omg!).

Lockstep

Just got a phone call from my ma.

She was worried as hell (the train departed from Leuven) and she knew I was doing some trainriding during the week.

Very sad story. It hit hard over here.

Dravokivich

Deleted User wrote: »

You just down expect something like this in a country like Belgium..

They exempt from accidents?

Dunjohn

Deleted User wrote: »

You just down expect something like this in a country like Belgium..

*head asplodes*

Why not!? They have a rail system, don't they??

... anyhow, that's a rant for another day. One that's already happened.

I hate to hear about stuff like this. Riding a train is the most normal thing in the world, and then BAM you're dead. It really does make me shiver to think about that sort of thing happening.

Cookie_Monster

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what makes it "Horrific" as per title

Amputations at the scene of the accident in bad snow conditions.. That's as horrific as it gets imo.

Dravokivich wrote: »

They exempt from accidents?

Dunno, been in Belgium twice and thought their public transport was really good. The countries around the centre of Europe have a brilliant rail system and I figured it would all be perfectly computer controlled.

Dunjohn wrote: »

*head asplodes*

Why not!? They have a rail system, don't they??

... anyhow, that's a rant for another day. One that's already happened.

I hate to hear about stuff like this. Riding a train is the most normal thing in the world, and then BAM you're dead. It really does make me shiver to think about that sort of thing happening.

Fair enough.

WindSock

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Just sitting there reading your Herard AM on the way to work then BAM!

You're hit with an informative article?

bonerm

WindSock wrote: »

You're hit with an informative article?

He said Herald AM.

mathie

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Just sitting there reading your Herard AM on the way to work then BAM!

BAM ... You're hit with the realisation that you're actually reading the Metro Herald.

Glenster

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Just sitting there reading your Herard AM on the way to work then BAM!

Someone punches you 'cos your elbow is in someone else's face?

Overheal

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Just sitting there reading your Herard AM on the way to work then BAM!

And the dirt is gone.

Dublin_Gunner

GaNjaHaN wrote: »

Just sitting there reading your Herard AM on the way to work then BAM!

Ah, this was a Jackass stunt?

Dunjohn

Anything worth reading in Bam! these days?

Was pretty shocked to hear this. I used to live in Belgium and I got that train all the time. I did wonder sometimes about the signalling, given the amount of trains using that track (inc. the high speed Thalys train) and the fact the French rail employees never seemed to speak very good Flemish.

One thing that struck me though.....
WHY WHY WHY does nobody seem to know the difference between the noun BELGIUM and the adjective BELGIAN? My homepage is the BBC News website and there's a link for 'more on the Belgium news crash.' Just saw on another website: "One of the trains was providing a local Flemish service, while the other was travelling towards the southern Belgium city of Liege." The Belgium city? Would they have said the England city of London or the France city of Paris? What kind of cretins are employed as journalists these days?

Sacred_git

Not surprised at all! Worked in Belgium, used to train it from Ghent to Kortrijk everyday, train stations there are very dated, the control signal rooms in a lot of them look really really old and i did used to wonder what the story was with them because they looked dodgey, the trains piss along though and are usually spot on timewise, a lot of the trains are also old/old looking, i definitely wouldn't like to take a hit in one of them! Although i believe they are blaming the weather on this one, so who knows. They have had a few train crashes before too. RIP

Buford T Justice

[quote=[Deleted User];64485821]Was pretty shocked to hear this. I used to live in Belgium and I got that train all the time. I did wonder sometimes about the signalling, given the amount of trains using that track (inc. the high speed Thalys train) and the fact the French rail employees never seemed to speak very good Flemish.

One thing that struck me though.....
WHY WHY WHY does nobody seem to know the difference between the noun BELGIUM and the adjective BELGIAN? My homepage is the BBC News website and there's a link for 'more on the Belgium news crash.' Just saw on another website: "One of the trains was providing a local Flemish service, while the other was travelling towards the southern Belgium city of Liege." The Belgium city? Would they have said the England city of London or the France city of Paris? What kind of cretins are employed as journalists these days?[/QUOTE]


Grammar Nazi Much?

90% of the feckin internet can't spell.

Fingers McGee

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Grammar Nazi Much?

90% of the feckin internet can't spell.

Really? You think I'm a Grammar Nazi because I expect journalists working for the BBC and the Times to be able to distinguish between a noun and an adjective? How times have changed. My English isn't that great, but I knew the difference between Belgium and Belgian when I was about 8. A professional journalist making a mistake like that? Inexcusable, IMO.

spinandscribble

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Just got a phone call from my ma.

She was worried as hell (the train departed from Leuven) and she knew I was doing some trainriding during the week.

Very sad story. It hit hard over here.

thought of you today, good to hear you're okay.

m@cc@

[quote=[Deleted User];64485821]
One thing that struck me though.....
WHY WHY WHY does nobody seem to know the difference between the noun BELGIUM and the adjective BELGIAN? My homepage is the BBC News website and there's a link for 'more on the Belgium news crash.' Just saw on another website: "One of the trains was providing a local Flemish service, while the other was travelling towards the southern Belgium city of Liege." The Belgium city? Would they have said the England city of London or the France city of Paris? What kind of cretins are employed as journalists these days?[/QUOTE]


I think that was the question on everyone's lips after reading about a major train crash with 20 people dead.

citizen_p

the last one ot to do with laungages....1 side of the country speaks french the other dutch.

led to the track operators putting two trains heading straight for eachother i n 2001

m@cc@

m@cc@ wrote: »

I think that was the question on everyone's lips after reading about a major train crash with 20 people dead.

Not really the point though, is it? Almost every story in the press is some sort of disaster, is that any excuse for shoddy journalism? Do you really think whoever wrote that article was so shell shocked that they forgot how to spell? Having lived in Belgium, I see this from another perspective - a major incident has just taken place and British journalists can't even be bothered to get the adjective of the country right. That seems pretty disrespectful to me. I mean, it's really not difficult to check, is it?

m@cc@

[quote=[Deleted User];64488706]Not really the point though, is it? Almost every story in the press is some sort of disaster, is that any excuse for shoddy journalism? Do you really think whoever wrote that article was so shell shocked that they forgot how to spell? Having lived in Belgium, I see this from another perspective - a major incident has just taken place and British journalists can't even be bothered to get the adjective of the country right. That seems pretty disrespectful to me. I mean, it's really not difficult to check, is it?[/QUOTE]

Living in Belgium has little to do with it. I'm sure the British journalists have not taken it upon themselves to create a diplomatic incident over the lingustics to do with Belguim nation. I wouldn't take it so seriously.

Midnight_EG

bonerm wrote: »

He said Herald AM.

Ahhhh, but he said it in a Chinese accent, so it's a totally different story now!

m@cc@

m@cc@ wrote: »

Living in Belgium has little to do with it. I'm sure the British journalists have not taken it upon themselves to create a diplomatic incident over the lingustics to do with Belguim nation. I wouldn't take it so seriously.

I'm not taking it 'so' seriously, I'm saying it's seriously poor journalism to make such a basic mistake. Irish people get offended at the use of 'Eire' but you think it's grand to totally mess up the name of a country?

griffdaddy

Mousey- wrote: »

the last one ot to do with laungages....1 side of the country speaks french the other dutch.

led to the track operators putting two trains heading straight for eachother i n 2001

(Serious Response)If that turns out to be the case this time this whole incident is gonna be used as political fodder for the split of the country. It's amazing how much difference the languages and culture make, the populations are almost completely separate and independant of each other. (Serious Response)





(Afterhours response) I'm just happy it wasn't a train full of Duvel colliding with a train of Belgian fries. (Afterhours Response)

meathstevie

No such thing as a Belgian nation either to be honest with you. The country is like a long seperated couple still living in the one house. One partner is Flanders the other Wallonia. And I should know, I grew up there.

Quite possible the "ordinary" railway services have suffered underinvesting and insufficient upgrading when huge funding was thrown at the likes of Thalys, TGV and Eurostar but should still be safe and sound infratructure and rolling stock wise. I would not be one bit surprised if the ongoing investigation is going to identify hunan error is the cause of the horrific accident. Also keep in ind that the accident happended during heavy snowfall with very bad visibility which could explain that one of the drivers hasn't seen certain signal lights.

m@cc@

[quote=[Deleted User];64488919]I'm not taking it 'so' seriously, I'm saying it's seriously poor journalism to make such a basic mistake. Irish people get offended at the use of 'Eire' but you think it's grand to totally mess up the name of a country?[/QUOTE]


I think it's just due to the similarity in the sound of the words as opposed to any slur on the country of Belgium.

Run_to_da_hills

Driver survived one of the trains by jumping clear before impact.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7029015.ece

Aidric

Was listening to Tony Connollys report on this on RTE yesterday. The language problem was offered up as the reason which is quite frankly hard to fathom when so many peoples safety is at stake. A very embarrassing episode for Belgium. The sad thing is there was a precedent for this.

bonerm

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Driver survived one of the trains by jumping clear before impact.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7029015.ece

He'd have been better off sitting in the carriage. His life won't be worth living now.

Kirnsy

bonerm wrote: »

He'd have been better off sitting in the carriage. His life won't be worth living now.

It was hardly his fault?

Run_to_da_hills

bonerm wrote: »

He'd have been better off sitting in the carriage. His life won't be worth living now.

That is only if he is proven negligent.

Wazdakka

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

That is only if he is proven negligent.

Its a train....

It's not like he took a wrong turn or could have swerved around the other one...

enda1

bonerm wrote: »

He'd have been better off sitting in the carriage. His life won't be worth living now.

What use would another lost life have been?

bonerm

I agree with the added loss of life argument but either-way (regarding neglience) it just doesn't look good for him.

Further, I wonder did he take the time to recommend his own imminent plan of action to his passengers before alighting the train?

stovelid

[quote=[Deleted User];64485821]
One thing that struck me though.....
WHY WHY WHY does nobody seem to know the difference between the noun BELGIUM and the adjective BELGIAN? My homepage is the BBC News website and there's a link for 'more on the Belgium news crash.' Just saw on another website: "One of the trains was providing a local Flemish service, while the other was travelling towards the southern Belgium city of Liege." The Belgium city? Would they have said the England city of London or the France city of Paris? What kind of cretins are employed as journalists these days?[/QUOTE]

I hear you.

Don't get me started on confused contractions and possessives in studies on genocide and natural disasters. I mean fatalities shmatalities: fine, but is a little editorial nous too much to ask for?

mathie

enda1 wrote: »

What use would another lost life have been?

Tell that to Texans.

Wazdakka

Wazdakka wrote: »

Its a train....

It's not like he took a wrong turn or could have swerved around the other one...

So? That doesn't mean he wasn't at fault. It wasn't an automatic, driverless train. It didn't drive itself into the path of the other train. We don't know what happened as yet, but I wouldn't assume he was blameless. He either ignored the red light, didn't see it or it was faulty. That article is pretty misleading though - it actually says he jumped into the carriage, not outside the train. Whatever happened, I'd hate to be in his shoes right now.
I think SNCB are at least partly to blame - what's the point of having these high tech tracks when half the trains are not equipped to take advantage of the technology? This is SNCB's response

Marc Descheemaecker from SNCB said: "In 2005 we opted for our own system and decided to equip all the trains but that cannot be done all at once."

It's now 2010 - FIVE years later and they still haven't finished? A pretty pathetic, but not at all surprising response from SNCB.

There doesn't seem to be any indication that language was a factor this time around, but I used to be surprised at the low standards of French spoken by Flemish drivers and vice versa. I remember once travelling to Antwerp from Brussels and the driver's Flemish was so poor that everyone in the carriage burst out laughing and said they hadn't understood a word. It was funny at the time, but perhaps wouldn't have been so amusing if it had been an emergency announcement.

stovelid wrote: »

I hear you.

Don't get me started on confused contractions and possessives in studies on genocide and natural disasters. I mean fatalities shmatalities: fine, but is a little editorial nous too much to ask for?

I get the sarcasm but that is correct. I have no idea why anyone thinks a story about a tragedy means all professionalism can go out of the window. It's not as if I'm complaining that someone who was interviewed after having been thrown from a carriage and who spoke English as a second language had said Belgium instead of Belgian. This is a British journalist who probably wasn't even there. The press is supposed to be reliable and accurate - making such an elementary mistake puts the credibility of the BBC at risk. They're speculating about the cause of the accident, yet couldn't even get the adjective right. The excuses people make for shoddy work are unbelievable. I guess that's how people get away with it. If I submitted a PhD thesis on genocides and spelled 'Rwanda' as 'Rewanda' I can assure you that saying I was upset and distressed while writing it wouldn't be accepted as an excuse. It would most likely be seen as being careless and disrespectful, which is how I see this mistake. Nobody is forced to be a journalist. If spelling things correctly is too much to ask, maybe these people should not be working for national newspapers.