(Burgrain) The Friday derailment of a train in the German Alps left 5 dead and 44 injured, according to a new report from the police who indicated on Saturday that they had found an additional body.
Posted at 11:03 a.m.
The previous report was Friday evening of 4 dead and 30 injured.
Investigators had combed through the damaged railcars, looking for victims and clues that might determine the cause of the accident near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, an area where the leaders’ summit will be held at the end of the month. G7.
“At this time, we do not believe there are any other victims. That said, I can’t be sure about that,” Frank Wellig, deputy regional police chief, told reporters.
He further indicated that four of the victims were adult women, and that 44 other people were injured, including children.
Photo Angelika Warmuth, Associated Press
The accident occurred shortly after noon on Friday as students were heading home ahead of the Pentecost holidays in two regions of southern Germany, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.
According to the police, the regional train was “crowded” with around 140 people on board.
This accident comes two days after the entry into force of a monthly fixed price of 9 euros allowing to take regional trains throughout Germany, an offer which has attracted many Germans and raised fears of overcrowding on trains.
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing visited the accident site, saying he was “very moved”.
“We will continue our investigation to determine what happened,” he told reporters.
The train had just left the well-known mountain resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the Bavarian capital Munich when the accident happened in the Burgrain region.
From June 26 to 28, heads of state and government, including US President Joe Biden, are to meet at Schloss Elmau, 11 kilometers from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.