A 26-year-old railway security worker is in a critical condition after falling from a moving train travelling at approximately 75mph (120km/h) near Karlsruhe, Germany, following an alleged violent confrontation with a passenger. The incident occurred on Friday evening at around 7.35pm on a regional train bound for Karlsruhe from Offenburg.
Details of the Incident
According to German news outlet ka-news.de, ticket inspectors checking a 36-year-old German passenger became involved in a verbal dispute with him. Two Deutsche Bahn security workers were called to intervene after the passenger, who is alleged to have been intoxicated, began insulting them. A physical confrontation then broke out between the passenger and the 26-year-old security worker, who is reported to be a Bulgarian national. Both men fell to the floor during the struggle before getting back to their feet.
German newspaper BILD reports that the passenger then allegedly pushed the security worker against a train door, with the force of the impact causing part of the entrance steps to break away. BR24 also reported that a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office said the security worker fell against the train door during the violent confrontation, causing the door to be ripped from its hinges.
Search and Rescue Operation
The regional train was travelling at approximately 120kmh (75mph) when the 26-year-old fell from the moving carriage near Ettlingen-Bruchhausen, south of Karlsruhe. A major search operation was launched, with Tagesschau reporting that drones were among the resources deployed to search for the missing railway worker. He was eventually discovered with life-threatening injuries on the tracks approximately two kilometres from where the train came to a stop.
According to ka-news.de, emergency medical personnel transported the injured man to hospital for further treatment. BR24 later reported that the railway worker remained in a critical condition, citing a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office.
Investigation and Arrest
The 36-year-old passenger was arrested on board the train, while the train was impounded as investigators work to establish exactly what happened. Karlsruhe Criminal Police have taken over the investigation, with witnesses being questioned and potential video footage examined. BILD reported that authorities are also investigating why the driver apparently received no notification that a door had opened.
Reactions from Authorities and Unions
Deutsche Bahn said: "We condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack last night on a regional train. Our thoughts are with the injured person." Railway union EVG said attacks on staff had reached a "new, life-threatening dimension." Manuel Amberger added: "That once again one of our colleagues is fighting for his life in hospital after a simple ticket check leaves us stunned and angry."
