By Reuters
Investigators believe a landslide, brought on by heavy rainfall, probably caused a regional train to derail in southern Germany, killing three people and injuring 41 more.
More than 100 people were aboard the Deutsche Bahn train when at least two carriages derailed on Sunday evening, local time, in a forested area near Riedlingen, about 158 kilometres west of Munich.
Rescue workers search for injured passengers in the wreckage.Credit: AP
The train’s driver, another employee and a passenger were killed, police said on Monday. Some of the 41 injured were seriously hurt.
Police said the downpours in the area had caused a sewage shaft to overflow, probably triggering the landslide of an embankment where the derailment occurred.
There was no evidence of an external influence that could have caused the derailment, police said.
The train was travelling from Sigmaringen to Ulm, a journey of 90 kilometres, when it came off the rails.
Footage from the crash scene showed firefighters and emergency services working to rescue the passengers from overturned yellow and grey carriages.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn earlier posted on X that “the exact situation is still unclear at this time”.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was in close contact with the interior minister and transport minister, the London Telegraph reported.
He said: “The train accident in the district of Biberach upsets me. We mourn for the victims. I express my sympathy to their relatives.”
AP, Reuters