RIEDLINGEN, Germany: A tragic train derailment near Stuttgart claimed the lives of three people on Sunday evening, including two crew members and one passenger, after torrential rains triggered a mudslide along the tracks. The incident occurred at approximately 6:10 p.m. local time near the town of Riedlingen in southwestern Germany, authorities confirmed.
According to preliminary investigations, the derailment was caused by an overflowing sewage system that led to a mudslide in the area. The intense rainfall overwhelmed local drainage systems, saturating the soil and sending debris and mud cascading onto the railway line.
The resulting obstruction on the tracks caused a regional diesel multiple unit train, carrying around 100 passengers, to derail with devastating consequences.
The deceased have been identified as the train’s 32-year-old driver and a 36-year-old male trainee, both of whom were working in the front cabin of the train when it derailed. A 70-year-old female passenger also died in the crash. In addition to the fatalities, 41 individuals sustained injuries, many of them serious, requiring emergency medical assistance and hospitalization.
Images published by German news outlet DW (Deutsche Welle) show the extent of the destruction: several overturned railcars, with one of the train’s cabs completely torn off, highlighting the force of the derailment.
Emergency services responded swiftly to the scene, working through difficult terrain and weather conditions to rescue the injured and recover the deceased.
Meteorologists reported that the region experienced up to 50 liters of rainfall per square meter—roughly two inches—within just one hour prior to the derailment, underscoring the severity of the weather event and its impact on infrastructure.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz extended his condolences to the victims’ families, stating, “My deepest sympathy goes to those who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.”
Deutsche Bahn, the national rail operator, also expressed sorrow over the loss and confirmed that it is fully cooperating with investigators to determine the exact sequence of events and assess the damage.
As rescue and recovery operations continue, questions are mounting over the resilience of rail infrastructure to extreme weather, which has become more frequent due to climate change. Authorities have launched a full investigation into the derailment, focusing on the conditions that led to the mudslide and whether any preventive measures could have averted the disaster.
