Disruption is expected for the rest of Tuesday morning at the very least after a fatal accident involving a lorry and a locamotive on the Noorderlaan in the port area of Antwerp. The accident happened at a level crossing at the corner of the Noorderlaan with the Ordamstraat.
The lorry has completely burned out. The Noorderlaan is closed in both directions and is expected to remain closed for several more hours. The Fire Service is asking the public to avoid the area where the accident took place.
At around 4am on Tuesday the Antwerp Fire Service received a call concerning a locomotive that had been involved in a collision with a lorry. An ungated level crossing is located at the junction of the Noorderlaan and the Ordamstraat. There are traffic lights and a bell that goes off when a train is approaching at the site, but no gates.
Jasmien O of the Antwerp Fire Service told VRT News that the lorry’s diesel tank was ruptured in the accident. "As a result of this the lorry caught fire. It burned out completely. The lorry driver died in the accident the driver of the locomotive is being treated for shock".
The Fire Service spokeswoman told VRT News that disruption to road traffic and freight train services in the area will persist for several hours yet. "You can best avoid the area. The police and the prosecutor’s office still need to investigate what happened. The lorry and the locomotive need to be towed away”.
The Civil Defence Service is also at the scene for the clean-up operation. The cause of the accident is still unclear.