At least 30 people were injured after two trams collided at Strasbourg’s main station on Saturday, officials said.
Videos and photos posted on social media showed two trams carrying dozens of people. A video shows scenes of smoke and chaos as the alarm sounds.
Local media reported that the accident occurred when one of the trams changed tracks and collided with a stationary tram. Other reports said that a tram was overturning at the time.
A spokesman for the prefecture said an investigation into the cause of the accident had been launched and no casualties had been confirmed.
Strasbourg Mayor Jean Barseghian told reporters at the scene that there had been a collision with the tram, but the cause was not known.
According to BFMTV, Barseghian urged people to wait for the results of the investigation.
A witness named Johan told the AFP news agency that he saw a tram overturning at speed, adding: “We heard a big impact, a big explosion.”
Another eyewitness told BFMTV that the doors of the tram were blown off by the impact.
A large security cordon was set up in front of the station, the outlet reported.
The Bass Rain Region Fire and Rescue Service posted on X urging people to avoid the area to allow emergency services access to the area.
Some of the non-fatal injuries reported were “mostly trauma,” but included skull injuries, clavicle fractures and knee sprains, said service director Rene Cellier.
“There are about 100 people who don’t have any significant injuries but are being looked at by doctors,” Cellier said.
He added that around 50 vehicles and 130 firefighters had been dispatched to the scene and that the situation “could have been more serious”.
CTS director Emmanuel Onu – which is responsible for managing public transport in Strasbourg – said the two tram drivers were “not physically injured, but very traumatised”.