Three dead and 60 others injured after a train carrying school children derailed near a German ski resort, while police confirm a major operation is underway
- A train bound for Munich from the German Alps derailed near the Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski resort on Friday
- At least three people died in the accident and 60 others were injured, including 16 in “serious” condition
- The crash occurred around 12:15 p.m. local time, with at least three cars overturning as they left the tracks
- “Many” school children are supposed to go on vacation after the last lessons in the train today
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At least three people are dead and dozens more injured after a train carrying “many” school children derailed in the German Alps today.
The train was traveling north from the Alps to Munich at around 12.15pm when several wagons rolled off the tracks and three overturned in Burgrain, near the holiday resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Three people were killed while 60 others were injured, including at least 16 who are in serious condition, police said.
According to the local newspaper Bild, there were “many schoolchildren” on the train who wanted to go on vacation after their final class today.
At least three people have been killed and dozens more injured, 16 of them seriously, after a train derailed in the German Alps
At least 60 people were injured in the accident, including 16 in “serious” condition, police said (pictured, rescue workers help evacuate a wounded person on a stretcher).
The train was on its way from southern Germany to Munich when it got off the train at around 3:30 p.m. and overturned three wagons
“Many school children” are said to have been on board the train, who are going on vacation today after a last day of classes
“All age groups” are among the injured, the police said on the local news site BR24, “people are brought to safety through windows”.
It was not immediately clear how many people were on the train at the time of the crash or what caused the crash.
Six rescue helicopters were rushed to the scene, in addition to dozens of ambulances, fire engines, cranes and other rescue vehicles.
The line between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberau north of the accident site is closed during the rescue work.
Images on social media showed carriages of a double-decker regional train trapped between branches and rolling down an embankment, as well as people being carried away on stretchers and standing around on the tracks.
A large-scale operation of the rescue workers is still in progress, the police said, the railway line is currently completely closed.
Regional trains have recorded higher passenger numbers since June 1st, when a Germany-wide ticket came into force.
Six helicopters were dispatched to the scene along with dozens of ambulances, fire engines, at least one crane and other rescue equipment
People of all ages are among the victims of the crash, police said, with people “pulled through windows” to get to safety (pictured).
At least three wagons overturned as they left the tracks and slid down an embankment, although it is not clear what exactly caused them to derail
Dozens of fire engines, a crane and ambulances fill the street next to the scene of the accident as a major rescue operation takes place
The popular mountain resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and its surrounding regions are preparing to host the G7 summit of world leaders later this month.
From June 26th to 28th, the heads of state and government, including US President Joe Biden, will meet at Schloss Elmau – around eleven kilometers from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Police and soldiers who had been deployed to prepare and secure the site in advance of the summit have now also been diverted to assist in the rescue operation.
According to media reports, three helicopters from the Austrian region of Tyrol were brought to the site for first aid.
Germany’s deadliest rail accident occurred in 1998 when a state-owned Deutsche Bahn high-speed train derailed in Eschede, Lower Saxony, killing 101 people.
The last fatal accident occurred on February 14, 2022, when two local trains collided near Munich, killing one person and injuring 14 others.
In 2017, 41 people were injured in a collision between a passenger train and a stationary freight train near the center of Düsseldorf.
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It is not clear how exactly the accident happened or how many people were on the train when it derailed