Train derailment that killed 3 in Germany apparently was caused by landslide

By STEFANIE DAZIO
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Investigators believe a landslide brought on by heavy rainfall likely caused a regional train to derail in southern Germany, killing three people and injuring 41 more.

More than 100 people were aboard the Deutsche Bahn train when at least two carriages derailed Sunday evening in a forested area near Riedlingen, about 158 kilometers (98 miles) west of Munich.

The train’s 32-year-old driver, a 36-year-old apprentice and a 70-year-old passenger were killed, police said Monday. Some of the 41 injured were seriously hurt.

Police said the downpours in the area caused a sewage shaft to overflow, likely triggering the landslide of an embankment where the derailment occurred.

There was no evidence of an external influence that could have caused the derailment, police said.

Photos from the scene showed parts of the train on its side as rescuers climbed atop the carriages.

“Such pictures shake us to the core,” Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said Monday, offering his condolences to the victims’ families.

He pledged full support for the effort to clear up the cause.

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Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.