Three Dead as Regional Train Derails in Southwest Germany
Three people were killed and several others injured when a regional passenger train derailed in a forested area in southwestern Germany on Sunday, according to police.
Approximately 100 passengers were on the train when the accident occurred around 6:10 p.m. local time near the town of Riedlingen in Baden-Württemberg state.
Initially, authorities reported four fatalities but later corrected the figure to three. They did not provide further details on the number of injured or the severity of their conditions.
Deutsche Bahn, the rail operator, confirmed several fatalities and multiple injuries. Two carriages derailed for reasons still under investigation, the company stated.
Traffic was suspended along a 40-kilometer (25-mile) section of the route as authorities worked to determine the cause of the crash.
Weather services noted that severe storms had recently affected the area, leading to speculation that a landslide may have contributed to the incident.
The train was en route from Sigmaringen to Ulm when it derailed in the wooded region.
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, offered condolences to the victims’ families in a social media statement. He added that he was coordinating with the interior and transport ministers to ensure emergency responders had necessary resources.
Images from the scene showed overturned yellow-and-gray train carriages as firefighters and rescue personnel worked to reach passengers.
Local broadcaster SWR reported that helicopters arrived to transport the injured to nearby hospitals, with emergency medical teams placed on standby.
Germany’s rail infrastructure has faced criticism for aging systems, leading to frequent delays and technical issues. The government has committed to significant investments in modernization efforts over the coming years.
In June 2022, a derailment near a Bavarian Alpine resort left four dead and dozens injured. The country’s most catastrophic rail disaster occurred in 1998 when a high-speed train derailed in Eschede, killing 101 people.
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