AT least seven people were injured after a tram “turned at a high speed” and derailed before smashing into a pizzeria in Sweden.
The horror accident unfolded in the early hours of Friday, in Gothenburg, on the country’s west coast – leaving seven people hospitalised.
The tram is understood to have derailed at the intersection of Kungsportsavenyn and Vasagatan.
Police, ambulance and rescue teams attended the scene of the accident.
Though locals reported that bystanders also intervened to pull out struggling victims from the brutal crash site.
Gothenburg police said: “It’s a tram that has come driving from Vasaplatsen in the direction of Avenyn.
“While on the route, the vehicle’s speed increased, preventing it from making the turn onto Avenyn. Instead, it continued moving forward and collided directly with a stand-alone building, which was a pizzeria.”
The area was also cordoned off following the crash.
And traffic on the affected area was suspended.
Police said that the speed of the tram was so high that it not only derailed, but continued to drive after it detached from the tracks.
According to Sweden Herald, a police officer who responded to the incident stated: “The vehicle proceeded straight down the asphalt, climbed significantly onto the sidewalk on the opposite side, and then forcefully entered a pizzeria.”
They added that the driver was among those injured in the shocking accident.
And they said that witnesses agreed that the tram turned “at a high speed” before attempting to curve round the tracks.
Local resident Parosh Hama Ali told TT news agency: “It sounded like someone was closing a garage door, but in an incredibly loud way.
“Then I heard screams and then I realised it was serious.”
He added that he rushed outside to see what had happened.
“They tried to help those who were trapped inside the tram and struggled to get one of the doors open,” he said.
“They finally succeeded, before the rescue service arrived.”
A probe was also launched to investigate what exactly caused the dangerous derailing.
It is currently unclear what caused the tram to detach from the tracks.
In February, at least 50 people were injured after two trams collided in Strasbourg, France.
Harrowing footage showed the aftermath of the smash with onlookers breaking down the doors to pull terrified passengers to safety.
