At least 26 persons sustained injuries after two subway trains derailed following a collision in Upper West Side region of New York City on Thursday (January 4, 2024).
A northbound 1 train with up to 500 passengers was pulling out of the 96th Street station shortly after 3 p.m. when it collided with another disabled 1 train and both derailed, police sources told the New York Post.
The disabled train was being worked on due to vandalism after someone went through the train pulling the emergency brake cords in several cars, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials told the news outlet.
According to reports, four MTA workers were present inside the train during the collision.
The New York City Fire Department posted on X: “FDNY members safely removed hundreds of passengers while operating on the tracks in perilous conditions. 26 people with non life threatening injuries were transported to local hospitals by FDNY EMS members.”
About 300 to 400 additional passengers were also evacuated from a train that was not involved but stuck behind the collision after power was shut down. The passengers got off through the train that had derailed, officials told New York Post.
The cause of the collision is still not known.
