Oprita said most of the injured passengers were in the second tram. He added the three victims whose condition is more serious suffered head trauma.
Four trams collided Thursday morning in an underground passageway, on one of the capital city’s busiest tram routes. The accident occurred as one tram broke down in the passageway and another, coming from behind, couldn’t stop in time, said Andrei Codau, spokesman for the Bucharest traffic police. Two other trams on the same track collided into the stopped vehicles, he added. Two of the trams jumped off track following the impact.
The four trams carried hundreds of passengers in total and more than 30 were injured, including one child. Several ambulances were rushed to the scene. Doctors said many of the injured passengers suffered head injuries and fractures and several people had panic attacks.
Brandusa Raeceanu, spokeswoman for the Bucharest public transport company RATB, said the accident could not be avoided because the distance between the trams was too small.