20 hurt in Germany as horse carriages collide on Christmas

Two horse-drawn carriages collided during a Christmas Day outing in Germany, injuring 20 passengers, two seriously while crossing a railway.

A damaged carriage in southern Germany. 20 people were injured when two horse-drawn carriages collided during a Christmas Day outing. Picture: AP

German police say 20 people were injured, two of them seriously, when two horse-drawn carriages collided during a Christmas Day outing.

The dpa news agency quoted police in southern Bavaria as saying the two carriages, each with 10 passengers, were approaching a rail crossing single file when the first carriage halted. The second did not and overturned during the collision.

Twenty people were injured, two of them seriously, when two horse-drawn carriages collided in Germany on Christmas Day. Picture: AP

One man had to be taken to the hospital by helicopter. Dpa says the driver of one of the carriages was also seriously hurt during Tuesday’s accident. The other 18 injured people included children. They all suffered less serious or minor injuries and were attended by 35 medical personnel. Police in the community of Pfronten were investigating on suspicion of negligence causing bodily injury.