Select a language
A man has died and 49 have been hospitalised after inhaling toxic fumes released when a train carrying chemicals derailed and caught fire in Wetteren, northwest Belgium, on May 4.
The exact causes of the accident are not known yet, although the train driver has admitted exceeding the speed limit on that part of the track.
A total of 250 people living within 500 metres of the crash site were immediately evacuated following the accident and people in nearby villages were told to remain indoors.
Some of the victims, and the dead man, were living beyond the security perimeter and are thought to have become sick after water used to douse the fire mixed with the toxic chemicals and washed into the drains. This has led to a polemic on the way the authorities managed the crisis.
Do you like our work?
Help multilingual European journalism to thrive, without ads or paywalls. Your one-off or regular support will keep our newsroom independent. Thank you!
