Three people have died and more than 40 others have been injured after a train derailed in a forested area of southern Germany, police have said.
Heavy rainfall led to a sewage shaft overflowing, which likely set off the landslide on the embankment where the incident happened, according to officers.
There was no indication that external factors contributed to the derailment near the town of Riedlingen, about 100 miles west of Munich.
Two train carriages came off the rails between Riedlingen and Munderkingen at around 6.10 pm local time (5.10pm UK time) on Sunday, with around 100 people aboard.
Photos from the scene showed parts of the train on its side as rescuers climbed on top of the carriages. Passengers have been evacuated from the train.
The train’s 32-year-old driver, a 36-year-old apprentice, and a 70-year-old passenger were killed, police said.
The Reuters news agency reported that the train was on a 55-mile route between Sigmaringen and Ulm in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.
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In a post on X, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he mourned the victims and gave his condolences.
Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s main national railway operator, also said in a statement that it was cooperating with investigators.
“Such pictures shake us to the core,” Deutsche Bahn chief executive Richard Lutz said Monday, offering his condolences to the victims’ families.
