Deadly train accident near Riedlingen in Germany leaves 3 dead
The accident occurred between the towns of Riedlingen and Munderkingen, near the tri-border area of Germany, France, and Switzerland. At the time of the derailment, the train was carrying approximately 100 passengers and was traveling along a 90-kilometer (55-mile) regional route between Sigmaringen and Ulm.
Among the fatalities were the train driver, a rail company employee, and one passenger. At least 41 others sustained injuries, some of them serious.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed condolences to the victims' families on social media, stating, "I mourn (ed) the victims of this terrible accident and extend my deepest sympathy to their loved ones." He added that he was in close contact with the country's interior and transport ministers and had instructed them to ensure full support for emergency responders.
Photos published by the German news agency DPA showed the train's carriages largely intact but violently twisted, some toppled onto their sides and piled against each other in a jackknife formation. Fallen trees and a heavy presence of emergency personnel were visible at the scene, as firefighters and rescue workers tried to access trapped passengers.
Authorities believe the derailment was triggered by a landslide, likely caused by water overflow along the railway embankment. However, the precise cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway operator, confirmed the derailment and said it was cooperating fully with investigators. "Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," the company said in a statement, noting that the number of injured was still being assessed.
The incident has prompted nationwide concern, and officials have vowed a thorough inquiry into the cause of the crash. Emergency services remain at the site, continuing recovery and support operations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
Scenic train rides and stunning spots to discover on your next visit to Switzerland
There are places on this planet that, on arrival, promise a slice of paradise. But an hour later, when your bus still hasn't arrived, such initial euphoria drains away. Not so in Switzerland. Yes, it's indeed one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but it's also the most punctual paradise travellers can find. As anyone who has stumbled, bleary-eyed, off a transatlantic flight will attest, being able to find (on arrival) a transportation system so wonderfully precise and simple to use is one of travel's most underrated treasures. The backbone of this system is the railways that crisscross Switzerland. The trains don't just arrive on time, but every connection is precise, so travellers can switch trains quickly and easily. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Buying a Swiss Travel Pass is a must for so many reasons. Not only is it valid for train travel, it also covers local buses, many sightseeing boats and entry to a host of museums. Plus, there's rarely a need for advance reservations; just hop on and hop off to your heart's content. The only question remains: just how much natural beauty do you want to see? The grand tour of Switzerland carries an endless appeal, covering almost 1,300 kilometres aboard those famous panoramic-view trains. Alas, most visitors must make a choice, being confined by time or money. So, in homage to Switzerland's linguistic heritage, we settled on Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano, where the native tongue is French, German and Italian respectively. (Don't worry: English is spoken everywhere.) The Swiss-based charter airline Edelweiss now flies out of Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax direct to Zurich, which is the perfect city to begin touring — a major rail station being part of its easily navigated airport. Within 30 minutes of leaving the plane you can board Swiss Rails' high-speed luxury train, using your first-class travel pass to avoid bothering booking seats. The gorgeous city of Lausanne, nestled on the banks of Lake Geneva, welcomed us at the art deco-inspired Hotel Mirabeau. Lausanne held similar appeal for French baron Pierre de Coubertin when, during the horrors of the First World War, he decided neutral Switzerland should headquarter the re-launched Olympic Games he championed. Today it's home to the International Olympic Committee and boasts a breathtakingly beautiful museum, overlooking the lake, that pays homage to the Games with vintage artifacts, classic sporting videos and poignant vignettes of previous Olympics, including those in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. It's enough to whet the appetite of any sports fan, so where better to enjoy lunch than the museum's grand restaurant, which offers an outrageously tasty buffet. If medals were handed out for self-serve cuisine , this would be a shoo-in for gold. After two wonderful days in Lausanne — no wonder David Bowie loved it — it was time to leave and experience the true wonders of Swiss rail, as we set out for Lucerne. 'If you want peace of mind, come to Montreux,' the late Freddie Mercury once said. So, that was our first pit stop. Music made the town world famous: its annual Montreux Jazz Festival is the city's signature event. From Montreux it's time to board the Belle Époque, Switzerland's answer to the Orient Express, with historical carriages combining comfort, elegance, and romance while travelling in style towards another famous mountain town – Gstaad. Sitting high in the Bernese Oberland, Gstaad is a magnet for the rich and famous, with its secluded location, top-notch restaurants and wonderful alpine views. Regular visitors have included Madonna , Princess Diana , Brigitte Bardot, Tiger Woods and Leonardo DiCaprio. If you can't spot a celebrity, don't despair. The magnificent scenery is even more stellar. The prestige section of the classic Golden Pass Express, which stops at Gstaad, provides a little of its own star quality, as it cuts through the Swiss Alps en route to Interlaken. While taking in the scenery , guests are pampered like Hollywood legends, with a delightful selection of regional delicacies complemented by a fine glass of wine. From Interlaken, following a seamless change of train, the Lucerne-Interlaken Express takes passengers along the shores of crystal-clear lakes and over the magnificent Brünig mountain pass before arriving in Lucerne, a compact city on the shores of its namesake lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and home to the famous 14 th century Chapel Bridge. A variety of tour boats depart the city's docks, allowing further exploration of the region. One of the most spectacular trips takes guests across the lake to Vitznau, at the base of Rigi Kulm, where a cogwheel railcar awaits to pull you 1,800 metres up to the mountain summit. The views are spectacular, on a clear day stretching as far as Germany and France. A short hike downhill leads to the lovely Lok 7 restaurant. You're close to heaven anyhow, so try the sumptuous Swiss cordon bleu for an elevated dining experience. Sadly, it was time to bid the lovely Lucerne 'auf Wiedersehen'as a taste of almost-Italy awaited, which meant a dramatic rail journey through one of the 19th century's most famous engineering marvels, the Gotthard Tunnel. A scenic cruise across Lake Lucerne, past legendary Swiss landmarks such as the Rütli Meadow and Tell Chapel ended in Flüelen, the departure point for the Gotthard Panorama Express, a train journey through the country's heartland, to the awe-inspiring Alps. Historically, crossing this beautiful mountain pass was arduous and challenging. So, in 1871 construction on a 15-km tunnel began from both sides of the imposing Saint-Gotthard Massif . It was deemed impossible and the project claimed hundreds of lives. But a decade later it opened and became the longest such tunnel in the world. Emerging from that same tunnel was akin to discovering another land. This is Ticino, the Italian-influenced region of Switzerland. Arriving in the area's biggest city, Lugano, it was a quick ride down the Città-Stazione funicular to discover the lovely Luganodante Hotel, complete with its Flamel gourmet restaurant and ultra-trendy cocktail bar. From Lugano it's simple to explore the entire Ticino region and, once again, those near-perfect travel links make it a breeze. A short train ride brings travellers to the base of Monte Generoso where a rack railway continues the trip to the mountain summit at 1,700 metres. The views from the top are simply gorgeous, from looking down on Lugano and its surrounding lake to glimpsing Milan in the far distance. The summit is crowned with the remarkable four-storey Fiore di pietra building, designed by famous architect Mario Botta, where a stunning restaurant and 360 degree views grace the upper floors. It was time to say 'Arrivederci' to Lugano and to Switzerland. There was just one more journey to enjoy: the express train to Zurich and the airport. It arrived on time, of course.
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
Scenic train rides and stunning spots to discover on your next visit to Switzerland
Article content There are places on this planet that, on arrival, promise a slice of paradise. But an hour later, when your bus still hasn't arrived, such initial euphoria drains away. Article content Not so in Switzerland. Yes, it's indeed one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but it's also the most punctual paradise travellers can find. Article content Article content As anyone who has stumbled, bleary-eyed, off a transatlantic flight will attest, being able to find (on arrival) a transportation system so wonderfully precise and simple to use is one of travel's most underrated treasures. Article content Article content Article content Buying a Swiss Travel Pass is a must for so many reasons. Not only is it valid for train travel, it also covers local buses, many sightseeing boats and entry to a host of museums. Plus, there's rarely a need for advance reservations; just hop on and hop off to your heart's content. Article content The only question remains: just how much natural beauty do you want to see? Article content The grand tour of Switzerland carries an endless appeal, covering almost 1,300 kilometres aboard those famous panoramic-view trains. Alas, most visitors must make a choice, being confined by time or money. Article content So, in homage to Switzerland's linguistic heritage, we settled on Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano, where the native tongue is French, German and Italian respectively. (Don't worry: English is spoken everywhere.) Article content Article content The Swiss-based charter airline Edelweiss now flies out of Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax direct to Zurich, which is the perfect city to begin touring — a major rail station being part of its easily navigated airport.
Winnipeg Free Press
31-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
What in-flight turbulence is and when it becomes dangerous for passengers and crews
A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam that was hit by serious turbulence Wednesday, sending 25 people on board to hospitals and forcing the flight to divert to Minnesota, highlighted the dangers of flying through unstable air. Several turbulence-impacted flights have been reported this year. While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, the tally of injuries has grown over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to what climate change may be doing to flying conditions. Planes hitting bumpy air is mostly minor, however, and airlines have tried to improve safety. Experts advise travelers to stay vigilant, stressing wearing a seat belt whenever possible. What causes turbulence Turbulence is essentially unstable air that moves in a non-predictable fashion. Most people associate it with heavy storms. But the most dangerous is clear-air turbulence, which often occurs with no visible warning. Clear-air turbulence happens most often in or near the high-altitude rivers of air called jet streams. The culprit is wind shear, which is when two huge air masses close to each other move at different speeds. If the difference in speed is big enough, the atmosphere can't handle the strain, and it breaks into turbulent patterns like eddies in water. Recent flights shaken by turbulence In June, five people were taken to a North Carolina hospital for evaluation after an American Airlines flight from Miami hit turbulence on its way to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The plane landed safely. Earlier that month, severe storms in southern Germany forced a Ryanair flight to make an emergency landing after violent turbulence injured nine people, German police said. The flight was traveling from Berlin to Milan with 179 passengers and six crew members. Eight passengers and one crew member were hurt. In March, a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore experienced severe turbulence over the Philippines. The plane was carrying 174 passengers and 14 crew members. Five people were injured and the plane landed safely in Singapore. Several flights were diverted to Waco, Texas, on March 3, because of turbulence. Five people were injured aboard a United Express plane flying from Springfield, Missouri, to Houston. Last year, Italian authorities launched an investigation after two easyJet flight attendants were injured when their flight from Corfu to London's Gatwick Airport was buffeted by turbulence. The pilot made an unscheduled landing in Rome. In May 2024, a 73-year-old British man died and dozens of people were injured aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence. His death was under investigation. Authorities said he may have had a heart attack. It's unclear how common injuries are Tracking the number of turbulence-related injuries worldwide is difficult. But some countries publish national data. Most reports of in-flight turbulence from 2009 through 2018 resulted in one or more serious injuries and no damage to the plane, the National Transportation Safety Board reported. Between 2009 and 2024, 207 people were injured seriously enough during turbulence to require hospital treatment for at least two days, according to the NTSB. Most of them were flight attendants, who are more likely to be out of their seats during a flight. How pilots try to avoid it Pilots try to avoid turbulence partly by using a weather radar display. Sometimes they can simply see and fly around thunderstorms. But clear-air turbulence 'is altogether another animal,' said Doug Moss, a former airline pilot and safety consultant. It can be devastating, he said, 'because the time before the incident can be very calm, and people are caught off-guard.' Air traffic controllers will warn pilots after another plane runs into clear-air turbulence, Moss said. Many pilots also look for signs of wind shear, then plan to avoid those areas, he said. Modern planes are strong enough to handle just about any turbulence. Cabin areas such as overhead bins may receive cosmetic damage, 'but these don't impact the structural integrity of the planes,' Moss said. Scientists look at climate change's influence Some scientists note that reports of turbulence encounters are on the rise. Several researchers have pointed to potential climate impacts as one of the possible explanations. Professor Thomas Guinn, of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, explains that some predict climate change could alter the jet stream and up the wind shear, which would drive up turbulence. Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in England, said there was 'strong evidence that turbulence is increasing because of climate change.' Williams said in a statement last year that his research team discovered that severe clear-air turbulence in the North Atlantic has increased by 55% since 1979, for example. The team's projections signal that severe turbulence in the jet streams could double or triple in the coming decades if global conditions continue as expected, he said. There could be a rise in overall air traffic that may increase turbulence encounters as the number of flight tracks go up, said Larry Cornman, a project scientist at the National Science Foundation's National Center for Atmospheric Research. What travelers can do to stay safe In short, buckle up. Turbulence can be tricky to predict, but experts stress that the first line of defense is keeping the seat belt fastened, whenever possible. And airlines have taken steps for safety. Last November, Southwest Airlines said it was ending cabin service earlier so that passengers return to their seats and fasten seat belts sooner. The change was intended to 'reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries,' the company said. Also last year, Korean Air decided to stop offering a beloved instant noodle, Shin Ramyun. 'This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents,' the Seoul-based airline said in a statement.
