Bavaria: At least four people were killed and 30 more were injured on Friday when a regional passenger train derailed in the southern German state of Bavaria.
Authorities said 15 people were being treated for serious injuries in hospital. Around 140 passengers were believed to have been on board at the time of the accident.
A police spokesperson said a major operation to free people from the wreckage had been completed.
“As far as we can tell, all the people have been rescued from the train,” the spokesperson said, adding that removing the overturned wagons, however, would “certainly take a few days.”
Emergency services had to climb through the overturned train’s windows using ladders in order to reach passengers trapped inside
It was not immediately clear what caused the train traveling from the Alpine ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen toward Munich to derail at about 12:20 local time (10:20 UTC).
Images from the scene showed several carriages overturned, intertwined with tree branches and partly rolled down an embankment.
Six rescue helicopters were in use to bring the injured to hospitals for treatment, according to a spokesperson for the ADAC Air Rescue service.
Part of the route between Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen has been blocked off and traffic is being diverted. A police spokesperson said the train tracks and neighboring highway may have to remain closed into the weekend.
Busy time for train travel
The incident happened as Germany heads into the Pentecost long weekend and at the start of Bavaria’s school holidays. It also came two days after the introduction of a €9 transport ticket for countrywide travel, which has led to increased passenger numbers on regional trains.
The Alpine town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen lies near the border with Austria and is a popular destination for hikers in summer. The region is set to host the G7 summit of world leaders later this month. DW
