At least three people were killed and 50 others sustained varying degrees of injury after a regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany.
The crash happened in a forested area near the town of Riedlingen in southwestern Baden-Württemberg state, roughly 158 km (98 miles) west of the city of Munich.
About 100 people were onboard the train when at least two carriages derailed in the forested area around 6:10 p.m. on Sunday evening.
Confirming the incident, the district fire chief, Charlotte Ziller, told reporters that the three victims included the train driver and an employee of Germany’s state-owned rail operator, Deutsche Bahn.
According to Ziller, the train had been travelling from the town of Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when it derailed.
“There have been heavy rains here, so it cannot be ruled out that the heavy rain and a related landslide accident may have been the cause. However, this is currently the subject of ongoing investigations,” said Thomas Strobl, interior minister of the state of Baden-Württemberg.
In a post on social platform X, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he mourned the victims and extended his condolences to their families.
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.”
Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s main national railway operator, said in a statement that it was cooperating with investigators to unravel the cause of the tragic event.
The chief executive of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, said he would also visit the scene of the accident.
He said the operator was deeply shocked and dismayed by the accident, and he thanked all the emergency services and volunteers on site.
“My heartfelt sympathy and condolences go out to the relatives of the deceased. I wish the injured a quick and full recovery,” he added.
The rail operator has set up a free special hotline for those affected and their relatives, according to the official DPA news agency.
Emergency chaplains and psychologists are also available for affected travellers and employees, it added.
