Train Derailment in Southern Germany Claims Lives, Injures Many

A regional passenger train derailed in southern Germany, resulting in fatalities and serious injuries. The exact number of injured individuals remained unclear in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

Initial reports from the police indicated four fatalities, but this was later revised to three confirmed deaths. Authorities refrained from specifying the number or severity of injuries sustained by those involved. The train was carrying approximately 100 passengers when the accident occurred near the town of Riedlingen.

The train was en route from Sigmaringen to Ulm when at least two carriages derailed in a wooded area around 6:10 pm local time. Investigators are exploring the possibility that heavy rainfall, which had occurred in the area prior to the crash, may have been a contributing factor. Some German media outlets suggested a landslide as a potential cause.

Emergency services responded to the scene, with footage showing the train carriages overturned. Helicopters were quickly deployed to transport the injured to nearby hospitals, and medical personnel from surrounding hospitals were alerted. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by both federal and local police.

Deutsche Bahn, the national rail operator, released a statement acknowledging "many injured" and expressing condolences to the victims and their families. The statement also confirmed that the cause of the derailment was unknown and that the company would assist in the investigation. Traffic was suspended along a 40-kilometer section of the affected route.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his sorrow for the victims and offered condolences to their families. He also stated that he was in communication with the interior and transport ministers, requesting that they provide full support to the emergency services.