Shanghai Metro releases initial briefing on fatal subway accident

Shanghai Metro on Wednesday released the initial briefing regarding an incident where a woman was killed in an accident along the city’s Metro Line 3 on Tuesday night.

According to the briefing posted on Sina Weibo, the victim was climbing over a platform safety rail at Caoyang Road Station at 6:55 pm when the train was about to arrive at the station. The driver hit the brakes as soon as he spotted the woman. As the train came to a stop, the woman was trapped between the train car and the safety rail.

Metro staff called emergency services at once and removed the rail to release the woman at 6:58 pm. Medical staff declared the woman dead at the scene when they arrived at 7:16 pm.

Shanghai Metro said surveillance video confirmed that the woman did try to go across the safety rail, which opens only when it’s time to get on and off a metro train. Local police are still investigating the motive behind her action, which remains unknown.