Three people were killed and several others were seriously injured after an overflowing sewer shaft derailed a passenger train in Southwest Germany, local authorities said.
Prosecutors said a train crashed between Reedlingen and Mundarlingen near Stuttgart on Sunday after heavy rain in the area.
They said the water was believed to have caused an overflow, causing a landslide at a bank running next to the truck, causing the incident.
The train driver, another railway employee and one passenger were killed and 41 people were injured. On Sunday, German Prime Minister Freidrich Merz said “morrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr[ed] The victim “and offered ‘deepest sympathy’ to his family.
In a post on X, he said he was in close contact with the Minister of Home Affairs and Transport and requested that emergency services be provided with all the necessary support.
In a statement shared on Sunday, Ulm police said it was on the 90 km (55 miles) route between Sigmaringen and Ulm when the train derailed.
They said an investigation into the cause of the accident was underway and the location of the incident remains closed.
Train traffic remains suspended and cleanup operations will begin on Monday, they added.
The German news agency DPA reported on Sunday that around 17:10 local time, about 100 people were on the train when at least two horse-drawn carriages derailed in the forest area around 17:10 local time.
Images of the carriages from the crash show are facing their side as firefighters and emergency teams worked to access trapped passengers. Fallen trees can also be seen at the scene.
In a statement, operator Deutsche Bahn said:
