Baden-Württemberg: Police see landslide as cause of train accident near Riedlingen
Investigators believe the train accident in Riedlingen, Baden-Württemberg, which left three people dead, was likely caused by a landslide. Ulm police announced this on Monday morning. A sewage shaft is suspected to have overflowed due to the heavy rain that occurred in the area of the accident.
The water triggered a landslide in the embankment area near the tracks, which in turn likely caused the derailment, according to the investigators' statement. There is currently no evidence of external influence, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), severe thunderstorms swept across the region in the early hours of Sunday evening. Locally, 30 to 40 liters of rain per square meter fell in a short period of time, said meteorologist Dominik Smieskol. However, the DWD does not have a measuring station at the exact location of the accident, which would prevent it from providing specific data.
According to police, three people died in the accident, including the train driver and another train company employee. The third person killed was traveling on the train. At least 41 people were also injured, including some seriously, according to reports. According to a Federal Police spokesperson, there were approximately 100 people on board the affected train, operating on the RE 55 line.
Railway boss Lutz and politicians want to travel to the scene of the accidentThe accident site near Riedlingen remains cordoned off , and rail traffic is suspended. According to the railway, replacement buses will transport passengers in the area on Monday.
Railway CEO Richard Lutz announced that he would travel to Riedlingen on Monday. He wanted to assess the situation and personally thank the emergency services. Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), and State Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens) also planned to visit the scene of the accident.
Die zeit