Authorities reported on Sunday (July 27) that a passenger train derailed in the southwest region of Germany, resulting in at least three deaths and multiple injuries.
According to federal and local police, the accident occurred near Riedlingen in the state of Baden-Württemberg, approximately 158 kilometers (98 miles) west of Munich.
The police stated that at 6:10 p.m. local time (16:10 Greenwich Mean Time), the passenger train traveling from Sigmaringen to Ulm experienced two carriages derailing with around 100 passengers on board.
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. Photos from the scene show some train cars overturned, with rescue personnel climbing onto the carriages for rescue operations.
The exact number of injuries is still unclear.
The area where the train derailed is situated in a hilly wooded area near the border of Germany with France and Switzerland, as confirmed by the Stuttgart police.
The train line is approximately 90 kilometers (55 miles) long.
Prior to the accident, the region had experienced a severe storm, and investigators are trying to determine if the rainfall was a contributing factor.
Thomas Strobl, the Interior Minister of Baden-Württemberg, stated, “There was heavy rainfall in this area earlier, so the possibility of the accident being caused by heavy rainfall and related landslides cannot be ruled out. However, this is still under investigation.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed condolences for the victims on social media platform X and offered condolences to their families.
The German national railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, issued a statement acknowledging that “many people were injured” and are cooperating with investigators. The company also extended condolences to the families of the victims.