SAVED BY THE WHALE!

A train driver in Spijkenisse on the outskirts of Rotterdam had a lucky escape when his metro train crashed through a barrier at the end of the tracks. Instead of plummeting 10m (33ft) into the water below, the train was left suspended in mid-air, having collided with an art installation – a large sculpture of two whales’ tails emerging from the water at the De Akkers metro station. The sculpture was originally titled Whale Tails, but has now been renamed Saved by a Whale’s Tail by the local authority. It was created by architect and artist Maarten Struijs and was installed in the water beneath the elevated metro line in 2002.

Mr Struijs was surprised the structure did not break. “It has been there for almost 20 years,” he said. “You actually expect the plastic to pulverise a bit, but that is apparently not the case. I am amazed that it is so strong. When plastic has stood for 20 years, you don’t expect it to hold up a metro train.”

The unnamed driver was able to leave the empty train by himself, and was taken to hospital for a check-up but fortunately appears to have escaped any injuries. The train was travelling just before midnight and was therefore empty, so no passengers were involved either. “We are trying to decide how we can bring the train down in a careful and controlled manner,” said an official. “Given the complexity, this will take some time. It will be quite an exercise to get that thing off and get it safe.” Guardian, BBC News, 2 Nov 2020.

Photos: This page: Robin Utrecht/ANP/ AFP via Getty Images. Opposite top: Jeffrey Groeneweg ANP/AFP via Getty Images; opposite botttom: Niels Wenstedt/BSR Agency/Getty Images.