According to police, a locomotive and five train carriages of the Arctic Circle Express went off the tracks. Witnesses and initial police assessments suggested a rock slide caused the derailment.

A passenger train running along Norway’s northern coast carrying 50 to 70 people derailed on Thursday, killing one and injuring four others.

“We are working on the derailment of a train,” the Joint Rescue Coordination Center of Northern Norway said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, adding that 50 to 70 people were onboard and the “extent of the damage” was unclear.

Three helicopters were on their way to the scene of the derailment, the center added.

What do we know about the cause of the derailment?
The Arctic Circle Express derailed on its way from Trondheim to the northern town of Bodoe.

“We think all the passengers are out. But we are doublechecking the train as we do not have a passenger list,” police spokesman Bent Are Eilertsen told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.

A passenger told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that a rock had hit the train, while police said it was a rock slide which likely caused the derailment.

This is a developing story, more to follow…

Credit: DW News