The lorry which fell this morning (Friday) from a road bridge onto the railway track, between Libramont and Bertrix, was a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Defence. Major Olivier Severain, the Ministry of Defence spokesman, said, “The accident caused two individuals to be slightly injured. They were immediately taken to hospital.”
The vehicle, a Unimog truck (produced by Daimler), was taking part in a specific exercise. Initial information indicates that it may have left the road, on the E411, before falling from a bridge onto the railway tracks near Libramont. The vehicle was the only one involved.
The driver of the train, which was on the track at that moment, fortunately was able to brake in time. The spokesman from Infrabel, Frédéric Sacré, said that the truck took with it, as it fell, power supply cables from two tracks and succeeded in damaging railway gantries.
As a consequence, railway traffic was interrupted in both directions between Bertrix and Libramont. Around 8.20 a.m., about thirty people were in the process of evacuating the convoy which was stuck there. Thierry Ney, the SNCB spokesman, stated this.
Major Olivier Severain also stated, “The Ministry of Defence apologises for all inconvenience caused.”
The Brussels Times
