Man injured by pop-up toilet accident in Amsterdam

A Urilift launched a motorbike on to a passer-by. Picture: Sean Davis

A man has been injured in a bizarre accident in Amsterdam involving a pop-up toilet.

The passer-by was stood near a “Urilift” retractable urinal when it suddenly emerged out of the ground on Friday evening, throwing a moped into the air that landed on top of him.

He was taken to hospital with wounds to his abdomen, according to Dutch website Nu.

The accident happened on Weteringschans, a main road in the city centre, at about 7.30om local time.

Some witnesses who heard the loud bang and saw the wreckage thought it was an explosion.

Sean Davis tweeted: “Literally just walked past this explosion about 2 minutes before. Feeling lucky.”

Urilift toilets are found across Amsterdam and in several European countries.

The small cubicles are concealed beneath pavements in the day and raised up by remote control in the evening.

After a night of use by clubbers and tourists, they are lowered back down before morning and automatically cleaned for the next night.

The first Urilift in London was installed by Islington Council near Fabric, a superclub, in response to years of complaints by residents about drinkers urinating in the streets.

They can also be found in Guildford, Watford and other British cities and towns, although no accidents have been reported.

Authorities in Amsterdam are investigating Friday’s incident and results of the investigation are expected over the weekend.