Three people were killed and at least 41 injured when a regional express train derailed in southern Germany on Sunday evening, in what authorities believe was a landslide triggered by torrential rain.
Police confirmed on Monday that the victims included the 32-year-old train driver, a 36-year-old apprentice and a 70-year-old passenger. Several of the injured were taken to hospital with serious wounds.
The accident occurred on a forested stretch of track between Sigmaringen and Ulm in Baden-Württemberg state. Around 100 passengers were on board when the train struck mud and debris that had spilled across the line. Two carriages left the track and slid down an embankment.
Investigators said a hole near the railway had filled with water during intense downpours, causing a slope beside the track to give way. Police also pointed to an overflowing sewage shaft in the area that may have triggered the landslide. There was no indication of foul play.
Photos from the site showed rescue workers climbing over carriages lying on their sides.
“Such pictures shake us to the core,” Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said Monday, offering condolences to the families of the victims.
Weather experts reported that the region saw as much as 10 gallons of rainfall per square yard in just a few hours.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and promised federal support for recovery efforts. Operator Deutsche Bahn said it was working closely with investigators to determine the exact cause of the crash.