At least one person was killed and 30 injured, many seriously, when a passenger train carrying about 50 people derailed in the early hours of today in the Netherlands after hitting a construction crane, officials said.

Rescue teams removed the injured working in the dark at the crash site near Voorschoten, a village near The Hague. The accident happened around 3:25 am. (04:25 Greek time) was announced by the emergency services.

Nineteen people were taken to hospital. Others were treated at the scene, according to emergency services.

The official of Dutch RailwaysCarola Belderbos said the train collided with the crane and the injured included the driver and two train supervisors.

The front carriage of the evening train from Leiden to The Hague derailed, emergency services said. The second carriage is on its side and a fire broke out in the rear carriage but was extinguished, the same source said.

Earlier it was announced that the passenger train collided with a freight train. Dutch Railways (NS) spokesman Erik Kruse said a freight train carrying limestone was involved in the accident, but was unable to provide details.

“We felt a huge jolt and immediately the lights went out“, one of the passengers, whose name was not released, told local TV station Omroep West.

“We couldn’t get off the train right away because there was no electricityhe added clearly shocked.

“Finally we got out, after what seemed like hours had passed.”

Jeroen Vinen of Prorail, the company that maintains the railways, said that investigations have begunincluding from his own company, the police and the Dutch Safety Board, which investigates serious accidents.

“Thankfully this is a very, very unique accident, but it is one horrible accidentVinen told Reuters at the crash site.

“We at Prorail are conducting the investigation first and foremost to find out what happened and how we can avoid it in the future,” he said, adding: “everyone is really shocked.”

Dutch Railways announced on Twitter that train services between Leiden and parts of The Hague were canceled due to the accident.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the Dutch royal family are among those who expressed their condolences for the victims.

“My thoughts go out to the relatives and all the victims. I wish them the best,” Rutte said in a message on Twitter. “We express our condolences to all of them,” King William-Alexander and Queen Maxima said.