5 bodies were recovered, but twelve missing! Bundeswehr in action ++ Interior Minister Herrmann: Further deaths cannot be ruled out

Train derails in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: North of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, there is currently a major police and fire brigade operation in Burgrain. According to initial findings, the train derailed, causing the wagons to tip over.

Four deaths and dozen injuries

At least four people died and dozens were seriously injured. Three rescue helicopters from Tyrol (Austria) are also deployed. The Bundeswehr is helping, as are numerous police officers who are currently stationed in Garmisch-Partenkirchen because of the upcoming G7 summit. The train was traveling at around 100 km/h.

According to Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (65, CSU), three fatalities were still under a wagon. These were recovered in the evening. Herrmann told the broadcaster “BR24” that further fatalities could not be ruled out. Twelve people are still missing, one woman died on the way to the hospital. The people who were discovered under the wagon were severely disfigured and therefore not yet identified.

We are also a bit concerned that we still have twelve missing persons reports that have not yet been finally processed,” said Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) on TV in the evening. But it could be that missing people are already in the clinics.

Some are so badly injured that the identity of the patients has not yet been clarified. He hopes that the police can process these missing persons cases at night.

Some people were pulled through windows

The accident happened on the last day of school before the holidays, around 12:15 p.m. The regional train was on its way to Munich around noon. Dramatic: It cannot be ruled out that many schoolchildren were also on the train at the start of the holidays.

60 people are currently being treated for injuries, 16 of them serious, said a spokesman for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district office. “People are being pulled through the windows,” said the federal police spokesman. “All age groups” were among the injured.

Cause of the accident unclear, investigations are ongoing

According to official information, there were around 140 passengers on the regional train that crashed. Around 500 rescuers were on site. It is not yet clear what led to the catastrophe on the single-track route. Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (58, CSU): “We will investigate exactly what caused the train accident. There was no second train or other vehicle involved.”

“The first work is being done on site,” said a police spokesman on Friday afternoon. One expects “lengthy investigations”.

Politician send in their condolences

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (51, SPD) reported on Twitter and announced that she would travel to the scene of the accident. The politician wanted to express the sympathy of the federal government to the families of the injured and dead.

Es sind furchtbare Nachrichten, die uns zu dem #Zugunglück bei #Garmisch erreichen. Meine Gedanken sind bei den Familien der Todesopfer und bei den Schwerverletzten und Verletzten. Ich bin auf dem Weg nach Garmisch, um die Anteilnahme der Bundesregierung auszudrücken.

— Nancy Faeser (@NancyFaeser) June 3, 2022

The accident comes after severe storms announced in region

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (52, FDP) was dismayed: “My thoughts and sympathy are with the injured.” He would have liked to get a quick picture on the spot, but due to the predicted storms in Bavaria, a helicopter flight was no longer possible. Instead, the politician plans to travel with the CEO of Deutsche Bahn on Saturday.

ire brigade, emergency doctors and police were on site with a large contingent. “A full alarm was triggered for the fire brigade and rescue service,” said a spokesman for the integrated control center in the Oberland. According to a spokesman for ADAC air rescue, six rescue helicopters were in action, three of them from ADAC.

It is now clear that at least the last three wagons jumped off the track. Two wagons overturned. “It smoked and smoked,” said eyewitness Jan B. to BILD. 15 Bundeswehr soldiers from Mittenwald run up from the front part of the train. They help evacuate the train, smashing the windows of the overturned wagon. Shocked passengers climb outside. Some are bleeding, sagging next to the embankment.

Disruptions to trains to and from Munich

► Railway line closure between Garmisch- Partenkirchen and Oberau!

Streckensperrung zwischen #Garmisch-Partenkirchen und #Oberau. Züge aus Richtung #München Hbf wenden vorzeitig in #Oberau. Aus Richtung #Mittenwald / #ReutteinTirol wenden die Züge vorzeitig in #Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Ersatzverkehr in Planung. #bahn https://t.co/xUGvQihgzM

— DB Regio Bayern (@streckenagentOB) June 3, 2022

The railway line between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberau is currently closed. Deutsche Bahn is currently planning a replacement service. The Farchanter Tunnel and the federal highway 2 south of it are completely closed. All four lanes are manned by emergency vehicles and rescue workers.

Deutsche Bahn expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the accident.

Disaster exactly 24 years after the Eschede catastrophe

The accident is reminiscent of a 1998 accident. The worst train accident in German history happened exactly 24 years ago. On June 3, 1998, the ICE “Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen” derailed at a speed of 200 km/h while traveling from Munich to Hamburg. The Eschede disaster killed 101 people, including 12 children. At that time even a motorway bridge was demolished. The cause was a broken tire.

Where is Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany?

Garmisch-Partenkirchen lies in a valley basin at the confluence of the Partnach and Loisach between the Ammergau Alps (Kramer) in the west, the Estergebirge (Wank) in the north, and the Wetterstein with the Zugspitze, Waxenstein and the Alpspitze in the south.