Germany train derailed: Several killed and others seriously injured after passenger train derails near Stuttgart
Several people have been killed and others seriously injured after a passenger train derailed in Germany.
Police told German news agency dpa that at least three people have died in the crash near Riedlingen near Stuttgart in the south-west. Reports say there had been a storm in the area shortly before.
The crash happened in the German Biberach district. It saw multiple injuries with officials declaring it as a "mass casualty incident".
Initial reports from Baden-Württemberg suggest huge devastation, according to a spokesperson for the Stuttgart Federal Police. Around 100 people were onboard the train when at least two carriages derailed in a forested area around 18:10 local time yesterday (Sunday 27 July).
Police say that no further details cannot be provided at this time – as they aim to rescue and treat people at the scene and also perform a full identification process. The Reutlingen control centre reported a so-called “mass casualty incident” – in rescue services, this refers to a situation in which a large number of injured or sick people need to be cared for.
While there has been no confirmation on why the train derailed, initial photos show the train stuck in a secluded area. Stopping in a difficult-to-access wooded area, emergency services struggled to access the scene.