At least seven injured as tram derails and crashes into pizzeria in Sweden

A tram derailed in southwestern Sweden on Thursday night and crashed into a pizzeria, injuring several people, according to local police.

Preliminary reports suggested that at least seven people were injured and taken to a local hospital.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Kungsportsavenyn and Vasagatan in Gothenburg on the country’s west coast.

Police, ambulance crews, rescue teams, and Gothenburg Tramways were actively responding to the scene of the accident, local media reported.

A wide section of the area was cordoned off in the wake of the accident and tram traffic on the affected route suspended.

“The speed was so high that the tram not only derailed, it continued to drive straight ahead on the asphalt, up a good bit on the sidewalk on the opposite side to then force its way into a pizzeria,” Morten Gunneng, a police officer on duty, was quoted as saying by Sweden Herald.

Mr Gunneg said the tram driver was among the injured.

Parosh Hama Ali, who lives near the accident site, told TT news agency: “It sounded like someone was closing a garage door, but in an incredibly loud way. Then I heard screams and then I realised it was serious.”

He rushed out of his apartment and saw that a crowd had gathered at the scene. “They tried to help those who were trapped inside the tram and struggled to get one of the doors open. They finally succeeded, before the rescue service arrived,” he was quoted as saying.

“It’s a tram that has come driving from Vasaplatsen in the direction of Avenyn. On the way, the speed has increased so that it has not been able to turn onto Avenyn, but continues straight ahead and into a detached building, which is a pizzeria”, police spokesperson, Christian Brattgard, said on Friday morning, according to the daily Goteborgs Posten.

Authorities have started investigating whether serious carelessness caused the accident and injuries.