9 dead, two missing, 81 injured in train collision in Germany–Transport Minister

  
German Transport Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said that nine people were confirmed dead and two still missing after a head-on collision of two commuter trains in southern Germany.

The minister who stated this in a media conference on Tuesday in Munich, added that the two train drivers were very likely to be among the casualties.

Dobrindt said that 10 people are in critical condition, eight seriously injured, and a total of 63 passengers sustained light injuries.


The minister said the accident, which occurred near the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling at 0550 GMT, saw two commuter trains carrying a total of 150 people collided at full speed in a partially wooded area next to the Mangfall River.

He said due to a curve in the track, the train drivers had no visibility before the two trains crashed into one another, causing several compartments to derail.
“It was frightening to see how the two trains drilled into one another, while the second train was completely torn apart.
Dobrindt added that he was in close contact with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavarian premier Horst Seehofer, who had both expressed their condolences to the victims’ relatives.

The minister said as part of the rescue effort, as many as 15 helicopters transported people with serious injuries to nearby hospitals and were seen lifting victims to the opposite side of the river in body bags.

“Those with less severe injuries were being treated at the scene.
“Federal and state police, paramedics, the fire department, the lifeguard service and the Red Cross formed a rescue operation comprising more than 500 people,’’ he said.
A spokesman for the team of paramedics working at the scene said that favourable weather conditions, the time of day and the fact that it is a holiday in Bavaria had helped to minimise losses in the accident.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn, Spokesman for Rail Operator, said two black boxes from the trains were being examined for information about the reason for the collision.
He said the third box was still missing in the wreckage.
Bahn who expressed surprise at the accident said a system to prevent head-on collisions was in place at the time of the accident.

“A system that causes trains to brake automatically, when they are on the wrong track to prevent head-on collisions, is in place at the time of the accident.
“The system had been tested roughly a week ago,’’he said.
He said prosecutors are investigating the possibility of human error and of a technical fault.
Bahn said that two cranes had been ordered to remove the wreckage and that the effort would take several days.

 (dpa/NAN)