At least four people were killed and several injured when a train derailed in Germany on Friday, June 3, a German police spokesperson said.
The spokesperson speaking to Reuters did not release details about the people that died, but said the train had been quite full with plenty of students at the time of the crash.
Several carriages overturned and partly rolled down an embankment north of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski resort in Bavaria, according to reports.
Before the accident, the region was preparing to host the G7 summit in late June.
After the accident several carriages of the red-coloured local train were lying on their sides on a grassy area next to a highway.
Rescuers stood on the top-facing side of the carriages, using ladders to climb into the waggons to reach trapped passengers.
“In the serious train accident, as of 3:32 pm (1532 GMT), four people were fatally injured,” police said in a statement.
“Around 30 passengers were injured, 15 of them so seriously that they have had to be admitted to nearby hospitals,” they said, adding that a huge rescue operation was underway.
Bavaria’s interior minister Joachim Herrmann said three of the victims were found dead, while a fourth succumbed to her injuries on the way to the hospital.
The accident came as rail officials were watching if a new nine-euro ($10) monthly public transport ticket valid across Germany would lead to packed trains over the bank holiday weekend.
A major emergency services operation is still under way, police said, and the rail line is currently completely closed.?????
