Hundreds of roller-skaters racing through a tunnel in Amsterdam collided yesterday, creating a huge human pile-up in which at least 50 competitors were injured, 10 of them critically.
The collision happened in mid-afternoon just moments after the race began and 4,000 skaters began entering the IJtunnel beneath an inland sea. One skater fell, tripping up those around him, and the pile-up grew as more skaters slammed into those on the ground. Witnesses described a scene of panic in the tunnel as screaming skaters pushed and shoved in frantic efforts to get out.
The race was one of several road events held on a "car-free Sunday" in which cars were banned from the heart of Amsterdam and dozens of other Dutch cities. The ban was organised by environmentalists trying to call attention to rising traffic and pollution in the Netherlands.