Three dead, several injured after train derails in Germany
About 100 passengers were aboard the train, when the accident occurred at around 6:10 pm (1610 GMT) near the town of Riedlingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg state.
Contacted by AFP, police initially said four people had been killed before correcting their statement to three victims.
Authorities declined to elaborate on the number of injured or how seriously hurt they were, though tabloid Bild cited emergency workers saying there were 50 injured.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed several deaths and numerous injured. Two train carriages had derailed "for reasons yet unknown", it added.
Authorities were currently investigating the circumstances of the accident, the operator said, and traffic had been suspended over a 40-kilometre (25-mile) stretch of the route.
German media reported that a landslide might have caused the accident as severe storms swept through the region, according to weather services.
The passenger train was travelling from the German town of Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when it derailed in a forested area.
In a post on social media, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences to the families of those killed.
He added that he was in close contact with both the interior and transport ministers, and had asked them to "provide the emergency services with all the support they need."
Footage from the scene of the accident showed yellow-and-grey-coloured train carriages lying on their sides, as firefighters and emergency services tried to get to the passengers.
According to local TV station SWR, helicopters arrived shortly after the accident to transport the injured to hospitals in the area, and emergency doctors from nearby hospitals were alerted.
German transport is regularly criticised by passengers for its outdated infrastructure, with travellers facing frequent train delays, and various technical problems.
The government has pledged to invest several hundred billion euros over the next few years, in particular to modernise infrastructure.
In June 2022, a train derailed near a Bavarian Alpine resort in southern Germany, killing four people and injuring dozens.
Germany's deadliest rail accident happened in 1998 when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Quintonil: Mexico's boundary-pushing culinary love story
MEXICO CITY: Behind the global acclaim of Quintonil, ranked third in 'The World's 50 Best Restaurants,' lies a love story between two gourmets passionate about redefining Mexican cuisine. Named after an aromatic Oaxacan plant, the restaurant merges traditional flavors with modern techniques, earning praise for its 'boundary-pushing' dishes. Alejandra Flores, co-founder of Quintonil, embodies Mexican hospitality, describing service as 'a dance' or even 'an embrace.' The intimate dining space, far from ostentatious, reflects the understated elegance that has drawn international diners to Mexico City. Head chef Jorge Vallejo, formerly of Pujol, credits his mentor Enrique Olvera for elevating Mexican gastronomy. 'Twenty years ago, people knew very little about what Mexican cuisine really is,' Vallejo said. Today, Quintonil showcases Mexico's diverse culinary heritage, from street tacos to refined dishes like vegetable mole with asparagus. With 98% of ingredients sourced locally, Quintonil highlights seasonal produce alongside staples like corn and tomatoes. Vallejo's dedication to local suppliers includes white beans from Sinaloa, reinforcing the restaurant's commitment to authenticity. The Michelin Guide praises Quintonil's 'constantly evolving' tasting menu, featuring innovative pairings like crab with blue corn tostada and pipian verde infused with galangal and lemongrass. The restaurant's success, according to critics, lies in its 'enticing melding of local product, execution, and creativity.' - AFP
Malaysian Reserve
11 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Over 120 flights disrupted by UK tech glitch
LONDON – Scores of flights to and from UK airports were cancelled Wednesday due to a technical glitch, according to the air traffic control service, prompting anger from airline chiefs. The number of aircraft in London's air space was limited by the service, known as NATS, as a result of a technical issue which was quickly resolved. Airports including London's Heathrow and Gatwick and Edinburgh were affected. Heathrow is Europe's busiest air hub. There were 67 departures and 55 arrivals cancelled as of 7:30 pm (1830 GMT) while a number of flights were also diverted, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. In 2023 NATS suffered the country's worst systems failure in almost 10 years, stranding thousands of passengers. Airline chiefs reacted angrily to the cancellations which came at the peak of the UK summer holiday travel season. Ryanair COO Neal McMahon called for NATS's chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign over the failure. 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption,' said McMahon. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 NATS system outage.' EasyJet COO David Morgan said it was 'extremely disappointing' to again see a failure 'causing disruption to our customers at this busy and important time of year for travel'. 'While our priority today is supporting our customers, we will want to understand from NATS what steps they are taking to ensure issues don't continue,' he added. A Department for Transport spokesperson said it was 'working closely' with NATS to understand the cause of the glitch and the 'implications for the resilience systems in place'. The 'technical issue' responsible for the disruption was at the service's control centre in Swanwick in southwest England, it said. It first announced problems at around 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) and in an update an hour later said systems were fully operational and that departures had resumed at all airports. –AFP
New Straits Times
12 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Over 120 UK flights disrupted after air traffic tech glitch
LONDON: Scores of flights to and from UK airports were cancelled Wednesday due to a technical glitch, according to the air traffic control service, prompting anger from airline chiefs. The number of aircraft in London's air space was limited by the service, known as NATS, as a result of a technical issue which was quickly resolved. Airports including London's Heathrow and Gatwick and Edinburgh were affected. Heathrow is Europe's busiest air hub. There were 67 departures and 55 arrivals cancelled as of 7.30pm (1830 GMT) while a number of flights were also diverted, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. In 2023 NATS suffered the country's worst systems failure in almost 10 years, stranding thousands of passengers. Airline chiefs reacted angrily to the cancellations which came at the peak of the UK summer holiday travel season. Ryanair COO Neal McMahon called for NATS's chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign over the failure. "It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption," said McMahon. "It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the August 2023 NATS system outage." EasyJet COO David Morgan said it was "extremely disappointing" to again see a failure "causing disruption to our customers at this busy and important time of year for travel." "While our priority today is supporting our customers, we will want to understand from NATS what steps they are taking to ensure issues don't continue," he added. A Department for Transport spokesperson said it was "working closely" with NATS to understand the cause of the glitch and the "implications for the resilience systems in place." The "technical issue" responsible for the disruption was at the service's control centre in Swanwick in southwest England, it said. It first announced problems at around 4pm (1500 GMT) and in an update an hour later said systems were fully operational and that departures had resumed at all airports. - AFP
