ANKARA: Nine people were killed and nearly 50 injured after a high-speed train crashed into a locomotive in the Turkish capital on Thursday, officials said.

Transport Minister Cahit Turhan told reporters in televised remarks that three of those killed were operators of the train. One of the victims died in hospital, he added.

Turhan added that 47 people were injured and later Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 34 of those injured were still in hospital for treatment. Two were in a serious condition, Koca added on Twitter.

The fast train had been on its way from Ankara’s main station to the central province of Konya. According to Hurriyet daily, there were 206 passengers on board.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said three people had been detained. In a speech in Ankara, he vowed those responsible would be held to account.

The three were employees of the Turkish state railways agency who were detained over suspected negligence, according to state news agency Anadolu.

“This morning there was an accident after the 6.30 high-speed train to Konya hit a locomotive tasked with checking rails on the same route,” Ankara governor Vasip Sahin told reporters in televised remarks.

A female witness whose name was not given told NTV broadcaster that the passenger train had not yet increased its speed when the crash happened.

Turhan said the accident took place six minutes after the train left Ankara as it entered the Marsandiz station.

The governor said “technical investigations” were under way to find out exactly what caused the crash in Yenimahalle district.

He said information about the cause would be shared with the public when it is known.

The Ankara public prosecutor launched an investigation into the crash, Anadolu said.

Images published by Turkish media showed some wagons had derailed and debris from the train scattered on the track, which was covered in snow.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2018