Woman dies of injuries after Dutch train crash

AMSTERDAM – A woman died Sunday of injuries a day after two trains collided head-on in Amsterdam — a crash a top rail official described as one of the worst train disasters in the Netherlands' recent history.

Scores of people were injured when the two trains slammed into one another. Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan said 16 people who were seriously injured in the crash remained hospitalized Sunday afternoon. He gave no details of the injuries.

The mayor also offered his condolences to the 68-year-old victim's family. The crash Saturday evening involved a double-decker intercity train and a commuter train.

"Two trains colliding on the same track is a nightmare," said Bert Meerstadt, director of national railroad operator NS, before news of the woman's death.

Meerstadt declined to speculate on what caused the collision. He said crash investigators would study black box recorders on both trains.

The accident happened near a popular park on a busy stretch of track close to Amsterdam's Central Station where trains generally do not travel at full speed. Two separate investigations will focus on whether human error or a mechanical problem led to the collision.