Three people were killed and several others injured when a regional passenger train derailed in a forested area of southwestern Germany on Sunday evening, according to police.
Approximately 100 passengers were on board when the train left the tracks at around 6:10pm local time near the town of Riedlingen, in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Initially, authorities reported four fatalities, but later corrected the figure to three. Details regarding the number and severity of injuries remain unclear, with officials declining to provide further information at this time.
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed the fatalities and said “numerous” passengers had been injured. Two carriages of the train derailed “for reasons yet unknown,” the company stated.
Emergency services were dispatched swiftly to the scene, with footage showing yellow and grey carriages lying on their sides as firefighters and rescue workers attempted to reach trapped passengers.
According to local broadcaster SWR, helicopters were deployed shortly after the incident to airlift the injured to nearby hospitals. Emergency doctors from surrounding towns were also mobilised.
The train had been travelling from Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when it derailed in a wooded area.
While the cause of the accident has not been confirmed, German media have speculated that a landslide triggered by recent severe storms may have played a role, citing meteorological sources.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a social media post, stating that he was in close contact with the interior and transport ministers. He added that he had instructed them to “provide the emergency services with all the support they need.”
In response to the derailment, rail traffic was suspended across a 40-kilometre stretch of the affected route.
Germany’s railway infrastructure has faced growing criticism in recent years due to frequent delays and technical failures. The government has pledged to invest hundreds of billions of euros in modernising the rail network.
This is not the first major train accident in the country’s recent history. In June 2022, a train derailed near a Bavarian Alpine resort, leaving four dead and dozens injured.
Germany’s deadliest rail disaster occurred in 1998, when a high-speed train operated by Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede, Lower Saxony, killing 101 people.
Authorities say investigations into Sunday’s accident are ongoing.
