30 years after one of Denmark's worst since train accidents: Why did we not?

30 years ago, changed Karen Boye Jensen and Carsten Kock-Jensen's life forever. The two had not known each other that morning, they climbed on board IC104 Fredericia, and on the incomprehensible show were survivors from the third worst train accident ever.

Since the tragic accident on the great belt occurred on Wednesday morning, it all came back, and as Extra the Blade meets them in Karen Boye Jensen's apartment, it is to this day still remains the question, 'why did we not' that occupies the two, who have been friends after the accident in 1988.

Extra Leaf was allowed to come with to hear how the last 30 years of their life after the accident has been.

30 years after the accident in the town of Sorø meet the two friends again. Storebælts the accident has put the memories in time. Photo: Anders Brohus

08.15 says 25-year-old Karen Boye Jensen on the platform in Slagelse and basking with his stiff stomach. The train is a bit delayed, but it is not something that bothers Karen Boye Jensen very much.

Karen Boye Jensen was 25 years old and six months pregnant when the accident in the town of Sorø happened. Photo: Anders Brohus

- I can clearly remember that it was a hot day, and I stood and enjoyed the weather right on the front of the platform. I was six months pregnant, so it could gradually be felt, when every morning I had to place on the work, " says Karen Boye Jensen.

The 33-year-old young doctor Carsten Kock-Jensen was earlier in the morning also jumped on the intercity IC104.

Carsten Kock-Jensen, survived One accident in 1988. Even though it is 30 years ago, the brands he is still the tragic accident in the body. Photo: Anders Brohus

- I was going from Odense to the course in Copenhagen together with two colleagues. It was we pretty regularly, so the morning was not so different than many others.

Eight people died later in the day. For overleverne Carsten Kock-Jensen and Karen Boye Jensen put the accident in 1988, the deep traces in the rest of their lives.

- the Months following were very hard for me. Even though I have physically had not gotten a scratch, yet I was so shocked that I had off sick the rest of the pregnancy. I was so afraid that I could not watch my child in my stomach that I did not work, says Karen, after which Carsten says:

- It was incredibly important for me not to fail at my work, and in addition, I became almost obsessed with, that we should have a better disaster response created here in Denmark, and it was something I really fought for in the subsequent year.

Some of it, which has been particularly difficult to understand for the two passengers, has been 'why did we not'?

- Although it sounds really strange, I have had very hard to understand, that I survived. I was in the wagon, where my colleague was sitting, but changed my mind. My colleague was killed on the spot. Why did I just return?

A question Karen Boye Jensen has also had to work a lot with in his life after the accident.

- In the years after I was terrified of thunderstorms. I was so afraid that a lightning would hit me. As I sat in the car in Slagelse, I thought, of course, that I was immortal, but after the accident I was in one way or another been incredibly conscious of how quickly and randomly life can end. It is a question of whether you choose to go to the right or to the left - but what basis do you make your decision on? It is pure chance that rules your life.

that is Why both also agreed that the phrase 'it was good that you survived' or 'phew, that was close, huh?' have not always helped, even though people have believed it in good faith.

- It is actually incredibly difficult to accept that you have been so close, but yet have done it without a scratch. As Karen says, you know, aware of it in one way or another is chance, which governs one's life.

How to wrote Extra Magazine back in 1988. To the right is the then-33-year-old doctor Carsten Kock-Jensen

the Trip across the great belt was by ferry, and Carsten Kock-Jensen had been drinking a cup of coffee on board the ferry. When he went back to the train, he took a random decision, which would prove to save his life.

- My colleagues and I used to actually always have a place next to each other, but right here in the morning, we had got three different buy a seat reservations in the two middle wagons. When I went back in the train after færgeturen, I saw my colleague sitting inside its compartment. I actually entered to him, but he did not live to see me before I changed my mind and went back to my own compartment. I wonder, frankly, not just småsnakke the rest of the trip anyway.

the Train lands on the island of Zealand approximately four minutes late and running from Slagelse station exactly at 08.20 restrictive.

In the front wagon is Karen Boye been going on and moving down through the kupéerne. She used always to sit in the middle of the train.

- I go down through the front of the wagon, and when I was almost all the way down through the other chariot, I meet the smoking room. All of a sudden I get the urge for a cigarette. I'm pregnant, so it's actually not something I usually do, but in the morning, won the desire, then reason.

the First wagon in the picture is where the driver and the driver sits. The third wagon is where Karen Boye Jensen is sitting. The fourth and the first overturned carriage is where Carsten Kock Jensen is sitting. Photo: Jørgen Jessen

the Train from Slagelse with seven wagons and about 300 passengers on board. The train was pulled by the three-year-old ME 1535-locomotive. It is close to 200 meters long.

the driver and the driver has, according to his own explanation overlooked a signal to reduce speed to 40 km/h. He now sees that he must over on a different track. He pulls in ME-the danger-brake - emergency brake, but the brake turns according to the driver and the driver not to with the same. Only after 6-8 seconds turns the brake according to the driver and the driver to.

Intercity hitting the first one, and since even a step change in Feldskoven 800 metres to the west of Sorø Station. The court in Ringsted concludes later, that move has been around 100 kilometres an hour.

- I had fallen asleep with a book, when suddenly I felt the violent forces, as we smoke of the track. As the carriage overturned, I grabbed hold of the luggage-net over me, and the only thing I thought was, 'now the door I'. I can remember that, I got to thinking, if I relaxed, made death not as evil, tells Carsten about the seconds, because the train was wrong.

I grabbed the stuck in the door, as the train suddenly ran of the rails. It was overwhelming, and the only thing I focused on was that I would NOT die. I can remember that there was a man across the street, and we screamed no, said nothing, but stared each other in the eyes, until the train stopped.

the Locomotive and the carriages 11, 12 and 17 was by accident derailed. The carriages 13, 14, 15 and 16 overturned on its side, and the carriage 15 was flung up in the air and landed on the top of the carriage 14.

Sorø accident is Denmark's third worst train accident. Eight died and 72 were injured. Photo: Lars Skaaning

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Both Carsten and Karen today live their lives fully and can run with the train again. But even if there is a period of 30 years, so has the accident has not left the body - especially not physically.

- There are various things which can tricke me. For example, I am always up in the train, when I drive past the town of Sorø. For many years, I was physically ill, when we drove there. It can also be if I my work can recognize the smell of diesel and urine, from when the train overturned. Even though I in my consciousness enough to have come pretty good about it, I can't always control how my body physically reacts, says Carsten, as in the past 30 years has worked as a neurosurgeon.

- I am also not thinking of it every day anymore. But here the other day, where I saw in the news, what had happened on the great belt, I could feel my body began to shake. In fact, just that we are sitting together now, making, I can feel my body is in a state of preparedness, " continues Karen.

Although there is a period of 30 years, the body has not forgotten how it felt, as life just as well could have been over. The best thing you can do to move forward, is, according to the two former passengers, to get to talk with someone who has the same experiences.

- It is so inexplicable that the very best is to talk with someone who has tried a similar situation - or preferably the same, says Karen.

Carsten ending the meeting with an important comment.

- And you should also know that it is okay to feel affected, even though you may not physically hit. Just to have been with, is to be affected. Hard hit.

The two former passengers ' council to the concerned in the great belt, the accident is to talk about it with someone, who were also in the train. Photo: Anders Brohus