When two S-Bahn trains collided in the Munich district on Monday, one person was killed and at least 18 people were injured. This was announced by the police after the accident. 80 other passengers would be medically examined, said the spokesman for the Munich police headquarters, Andreas Franken.
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According to the police spokesman, the dead man was a 24-year-old Afghan. Five other people were seriously injured and 13 others suffered moderate injuries. In addition, 25 people were treated as outpatients.
According to the information, the trains collided around 4.35 p.m. in the area of the Ebenhausen-Schäftlarn station. The cause is still completely unclear. The passengers were rescued from the trains.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) expressed his deep concern after the S-Bahn accident. “This is terrible news,” Söder wrote on Twitter.
“We mourn with the relatives and wish all those injured in the S-Bahn accident a speedy recovery.” Söder added: “Thanks to all the rescue workers for their quick action.”
Single accident site
The station is on the route of the S7 to Wolfratshausen. Two trains from the north and south collided, said police spokesman Franken. Accordingly, the route at the accident site is single track.
According to police spokesman Franken, one of the trains derailed, but both trains are still standing. Around 130 police officers and numerous firefighters were on site for the rescue work and investigations.
According to a spokesman for the ADAC air rescue service, the crew of the ADAC helicopter “Christoph Murnau” was one of the first responders to the scene of the accident. However, the helicopter was only able to land about 300 meters away because the terrain at the scene of the accident did not allow landing, he said.
The ADAC air rescuers then rescued four to five seriously injured people from the badly damaged part of the train. A total of six rescue helicopters from Germany and Austria were deployed on site, but the injured were ultimately taken to the clinics in rescue vehicles, explained the ADAC spokesman.
Franken explained why both trains were running on the route at the same time is the subject of the investigation. The police headquarters work together with the federal police. Railway safety is usually the responsibility of the Federal Police.
The passengers were rescued from the trains. Most of them were taken to the Schäftlarn monastery for further care. The identity of the fatally injured victim was not immediately clear. There was also no precise information about the severity of the injuries to the other victims.
Bavaria’s Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) drove to the scene of the accident in the evening. “I am deeply affected because so many people experience suffering,” she said. The most important thing now is that the injured and their relatives are cared for and supported. She declined to comment on possible consequences. “First we have to determine the cause of the accident. If we know them, we can draw conclusions from them.”
Possibly objects on the route
As the operator of the S-Bahn, Deutsche Bahn (DB) initially announced via Twitter that there were “objects on the route” in the area between Ebenhausen-Schäftlarn and Baierbrunn.
The railway line between Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof and Wolfratshausen was closed and a rail replacement service with buses was set up.
After the accident, the railway expressed its regret. “Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of the victims of the accident. We wish the injured a speedy and full recovery,” said Heiko Büttner, head of the Munich S-Bahn.
In addition, the railway set up a telephone hotline. From 7.30 p.m. she should be available on 0800 3 111 111. (dpa)
