Man dies after backpack catches in Belgian train's doors
A 34-year-old man died after his backpack caught in the doors of a departing train at Kalmthout, Belgium, and he was dragged under it, losing a leg.
A 34-year-old man has died after his backpack became trapped in the doors of a departing train at Heide station in Kalmthout, Belgium, prosecutors confirmed. He lost his balance as the train pulled away on Monday and was dragged partly beneath it, losing a leg, Belgian broadcaster HLN reported.
He was taken to hospital in critical condition, where doctors fought to save his life before he later died of his injuries. The local Grens police zone handed the investigation to the federal railway police. Train operator NMBS and infrastructure manager Infrabel said they would not discuss the exact circumstances until the inquiry had progressed further.
According to unconfirmed reports from Dutch broadcaster RTL Nieuws, the man may have argued with a train conductor shortly before the accident. Belgian media, including Gazet van Antwerpen, reported that he held Polish nationality, though this has not been independently confirmed.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · HLN, RTL Nieuws A 34-year-old man died after his backpack caught in the doors of a departing train at Heide station in Kalmthout, Belgium, on Monday.
- 2+ outlets · HLN, De Telegraaf +2 He fell and was dragged partly under the train, losing a leg, and later died of his injuries in hospital.
- 1 outlet · HLN The federal railway police have taken over the investigation from local police.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Reports that the man argued with a train conductor shortly before the accident
- Unconfirmed Reports that the man held Polish nationality
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The accident has drawn attention to safety procedures around closing doors and platform departures on Belgium's rail network. NMBS said the conductor involved in Monday's incident had been offered psychological support through the company's welfare programme.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- HLN: Man in levensgevaar nadat rugzak blijft hangen aan vertrekkende trein in Kalmthout: slachtoffer verliest been
- De Telegraaf: Man verliest been na gruwelijk treinongeluk in België: rugzak raakt klem tussen twee wagons
- AD: Man verliest been nadat rugzak blijft hangen aan trein in België
- HLN: Man (34) die door rugzak onder trein terechtkwam in Kalmthout, is overleden aan zijn verwondingen
- RTL Nieuws: Man (34) overleden die met rugzak aan trein bleef hangen in België
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Kalmthout?
- A 34-year-old man's backpack caught in the doors of a departing train, and he fell and was dragged partly beneath it, losing a leg; he later died of his injuries.
- Who is investigating?
- Belgium's federal railway police took over the case from the local Grens police zone.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.