Three people died and several others were injured when a regional passenger train derailed near Riedlingen in southwestern Germany on Sunday evening, police confirmed. The accident occurred at 6:10 pm local time in a wooded area of Baden-Württemberg state, with around 100 passengers on board.
Authorities initially reported four fatalities but later corrected the figure to three. The number of injured and the severity of their injuries have not been disclosed. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed multiple deaths and numerous injuries, stating that two carriages derailed for reasons yet unknown.
German media suggested a landslide may have caused the derailment, as severe storms swept through the region. The train was travelling from Sigmaringen to Ulm when it derailed in a forested area. Traffic on the route has been suspended over a 40-kilometre stretch.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed condolences on social media and said he was in close contact with the interior and transport ministers, asking them to provide emergency services with full support. Footage from the scene showed carriages lying on their sides as firefighters and emergency crews worked to reach passengers.
Helicopters transported the injured to nearby hospitals, and emergency doctors from local hospitals were alerted. Germany's transport infrastructure has faced frequent criticism for delays and technical issues, with the government pledging billions of euros for modernisation. The accident echoes a 2022 derailment in Bavaria that killed four, and the country's deadliest rail disaster in 1998 near Eschede, which claimed 101 lives.
