At least 102 people were injured in a Beijing subway accident with broken bones after the trains collided on the surface section, Chinese state media reported on Friday, AFP and Xinhua reported.

The Chinese capital, where such incidents are rare, has been hit by heavy snowfall in recent days, which has led to traffic disruptions.

The subway incident happened at 6:57 p.m. (10:57 GMT) on Thursday night during rush hour when two trains collided, public broadcaster CCTV reported.

“A total of 515 people were taken to the hospital for examination, 102 had fractures. No deaths were registered,” the TV channel reported, noting that 67 people remain in hospitals.

According to preliminary information, the cause of the accident was snow, due to which the tracks became slippery, which led to the deterioration of the signal and the activation of emergency braking, according to CCTV.

“The train behind, which was traveling downhill, rolled down the tracks and failed to brake effectively, provoking a collision with the train in front,” the TV channel added.

The accident did not occur in the tunnel, but on the ground section near Xi’erqi station. The train was heading to Changping, a district located in the north of the Chinese capital.

Such incidents are relatively rare in China’s subways, and metros in major cities are mostly relatively new, modern and safe. (Source: Agerpres / Photo: Dreamstime.com)