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Instead of stopping, a tram crashed into Kornhausplatz at Berner Zytglogge. An eyewitness reports.
Spectacular tram accident in Bern: A Bernmobile tram on line 7 derailed at Berner Zytglogge this morning. The vehicle was coming from the direction of Casinoplatz when it flew out of a curve and slid with full force onto Kornhausplatz.
The situation on site
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Legend: The tram crashed into Kornhausplatz with full force and cleared away ticket machines and waste bins. Keystone/Anthony Anex
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Legend: SRF/Sandra Brand
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Legend: Drag marks testify to the great force with which the tram flew off the tracks. Keystone/Anthony Anex
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Legend: SRF/Adrian Müller
There the tram cleared benches, a ticket machine and waste bins and only came to a standstill at the Chindlifrässer fountain. Drag marks on the ground testify to the great force with which the tram must have flown off the tracks.
Instead of stopping at the stop, the tram gave full throttle, that’s what it seemed like.
A service employee at the “Adrianos” coffee bar on Zytglogge saw the derailment with her own eyes: “Instead of stopping at the stop, the tram went full throttle, that’s what it seemed like. It didn’t make the curve towards the train station and crashed into Kornhausplatz,” she said to an SRF reporter.
It was “a dramatic sight,” said the barista. “We saw lightning because the power lines were torn down. Then the ambulance came.”
Did the tram driver have a medical problem?
According to the police, a passenger and the tram driver were slightly injured in the accident. It is said that a “medical problem” with the chauffeur cannot be ruled out.
Legend: Rescue workers at work, they wanted to get the tram back on the rails. KEYSTONE/Anthony Anex
Bernmobil spokesman Rolf Meyer speaks of “luck in misfortune”: “You have to imagine: If people had sat outside on the restaurant terrace in the summer, the tram accident could have ended much worse,” he explained via SRF.
The tram accident could have ended much worse.
At the scene of the accident, the 7 tram was actually supposed to turn into Marktgasse, although it would actually have been traveling at walking pace. “We have never seen anything like this in Bern,” said a passer-by.
The police are currently investigating the accident in collaboration with the Swiss Safety Investigation Board (SUST). The exact circumstances are still unclear.
Traffic is still severely affected due to the extensive rescue work. Commuters must exercise patience.