Singapore train collision leaves 28 people injured

Transport officials say a train hit a stationary faulty train during the morning rush hour

At least 28 people were injured in a train collision in Singapore yesterday, officials said, the latest incident to hit the troubled metro system.

The injured passengers were taken to hospital with most sustaining minor injuries, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Transport officials said a train hit a stationary faulty train at the elevated Joo Koon station in the far west of the city state during the morning rush hour.

“At 8.19am, a second train stopped behind the first faulty train. At 8.20am, the second train moved forward unexpectedly, and came into contact with the first train,” regulator Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT said in a joint statement.

They later said 26 passengers and two SMRT employees had been sent to nearby hospitals with “light to moderate injuries”, adding that most of the victims were discharged after treatment.

Both LTA and SMRT said they are investigating the incident, which sparked a fresh round of criticism on social media of the metro system, once the pride of Singapore and the envy of its neighbours.

The densely populated city state’s metro system has been hit by repeated delays and breakdowns in recent years, generating public anger in a financial centre where the cost of car ownership is among the highest in the world.