German man dragged for 3km beneath tram before it stopped

20-year-old loses legs and an arm in 10-minute ordeal through seven stations

The man was unconscious when he was extricated and taken to hospital in critical condition. File photograph: Kostas Tsironis/Bloomberg
The man was unconscious when he was extricated and taken to hospital in critical condition. File photograph: Kostas Tsironis/Bloomberg

A German man was dragged beneath a tram for more than 3km and through seven stations, as passengers heard his screams but did not initially realise where the noise was coming from, police said on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old lost both legs and an arm in the 10-minute ordeal in Dortmund. It ended when a passenger finally pulled the streetcar's emergency brake, 'Bild' newspaper reported.

The man was unconscious when he was extricated and taken to hospital in critical condition.

“Several passengers later said they had heard his cries for help but couldn’t tell where they were coming from,” Dortmund police said in a statement.

Reuters

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