Fifteen people were injured when one of San Francisco’s famous trams, known as cable cars, suddenly stopped. Z
December 16, 2025, 07:14December 16, 2025, 07:14
Two people were immediately taken to hospital, and eleven others sought medical treatment with minor complaints, the fire department said. Two people did not require treatment. No one was critically injured, it said. The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
The affected train in San Francisco.Image: keystone
A passenger told the San Francisco Chronicle that the train suddenly stopped while going uphill. People were flying through the air and screaming, Willa Meade told the newspaper.
The three-line tram network, which is over 150 years old, is one of the top tourist attractions in the west coast city. The ancient trains rattle through the hilly west coast metropolis on movable steel cables. They are generally considered a fairly safe means of transport.
The drive for the cars is a kilometer-long steel cable that runs in a track just below the road surface and is constantly in motion. The cables are driven by a huge motor in a central switching point. The cars have been protected as a “National Historic Landmark” since 1964. (sda/dpa)