Heavy rainfall, which caused landslides, is likely, according to initial estimates by German authorities, to have been the cause of the derailment of a high-speed regional train yesterday Sunday afternoon in Baden-Württemberg, in which three people lost their lives and another 50 were injured.
According to police, two carriages derailed at 19:05 (GMT) as the train was moving in a wooded area between Riedlingen and Biberach, about 45 kilometers southeast of Ulm. “The area has been hit by heavy storms since yesterday and it cannot be ruled out that the derailment was caused by a landslide,” said Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl.
In photos and videos from the scene of the accident, the rails appear buried under soil.
A fire department spokesman said there were 100 people on the train, of whom 50 were injured, about half seriously. Among the three dead was a German Railways (DB) employee, spokeswoman Charlotte Ziller said.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences to the families of the victims via X, emphasizing that he had asked the Ministries of Transport and Interior to support the rescue teams with all available means.
Source: protothema.gr
