Dozens of people injured after two trams collide in eastern French city of Strasbourg

By Gavin Blackburn with AP, EBU

Two trams person collided successful Strasbourg successful eastbound France causing dozens of injuries, though nary critical, authorities said.

The mishap happened during the day successful a passageway starring to the city's cardinal bid station.

An further 100 people, though uninjured, were assessed for daze oregon stress, said René Cellier, manager of the Bas-Rhin Fire and Rescue Service.

Emergency services deployed 130 firefighters, 50 rescue vehicles and established a wide information perimeter.

"Around 50 radical are successful a authorities of comparative emergency, with injuries specified arsenic scalp wounds, clavicle fractures and genu sprains. But determination are nary captious injuries. It could person been overmuch worse," Cellier said.

The nonstop origin of the collision was unclear but section media reported that 1 of the trams was reversing astatine the time.

Mayor Jeanne Barseghian, who visited the site, described the incidental arsenic a "brutal collision" and expressed her gratitude to exigency responders.

"I americium astatine the presumption with the injured and rescuers. Thank you for your mobilisation," she said connected X. She urged the nationalist not to obstruct rescue operations.

Images shared connected societal media showed 2 severely damaged tram cars, 1 of which had derailed successful the tunnel.

Strasbourg, the archetypal large French metropolis to reinstate tram services successful 1994, had not experienced a important tram mishap until now, according to French media.

Authorities launched an probe to find what caused the collision.

Cleanup operations continued into the evening and residents were advised to debar the country astir the bid station.