Metro train derails in İstanbul, three hospitalized

A metro train derailed on the Kadıköy-Sabiha Gökçen Airport line on the Asian side of İstanbul today, leaving three people injured, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

The incident occurred due to a switch malfunction between Bostancı and Küçükyalı stations at around 8.20 pm local time (GMT+3). Passengers got out of the train themselves and walked to the Bostancı station.

Firefighters, medical teams, and metro crews were dispatched to the scene following the accident. 

'Everyone panicked'

Dilek Kaygalak, a passenger on the metro, told AA that everyone panicked when the power cut out on the train. Kaygalak, who has asthma, said she struggled to breathe during the incident:

"There were children next to me, and they and their mothers also started to panic. No announcement was made to us whatsoever. People opened the doors on their own, and we evacuated ourselves. First we walked forward, and then we were told we had to go back. We walked back that same way with our feet in water and mud," she said.

Ayten Yücel recounted that the metro first went backward between the Küçükyalı and Bostancı stations:

"Then it hit the wall, and we experienced a major jolt. The power went out and the doors did not open at first. Because no announcement was made either, people panicked even more. We panicked because we did not know or understand if there was a fire or what was happening."

"We evacuated ourselves by walking toward the front of the metro. Some people fainted, and there were elderly women with canes. We walked for about 10 to 15 minutes, and teams arriving approximately half an hour later told us we needed to walk in the opposite direction. We lost time there.

"Fortunately, nothing happened, but there needs to be an announcement system so that measures can be taken quickly during such potential failures and people's anxiety can be calmed."

(VK)