3 dead as sewage overflow causes train derailment in Germany

Three people have died and at least 41 others were injured after a passenger train derailed in south-west Germany on Sunday, following a landslide triggered by an overflowing sewage shaft, local officials have confirmed.

The crash occurred between the towns of Riedlingen and Munderkingen, near Stuttgart, on a route linking Sigmaringen and Ulm. Authorities say heavy rainfall in the region caused a sewage shaft to overflow, which in turn saturated the embankment beside the railway line and led to a landslide.

The train, carrying dozens of passengers, was unable to stop in time and came off the tracks as it struck the debris. Among the dead are the train’s driver, another railway employee, and one passenger.

“This is a terrible tragedy,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a message posted on social media platform X. “I mourn the victims and offer my deepest sympathy to their families.” He added that he is in close contact with Interior and Transport Ministers and has instructed them to ensure emergency services receive all necessary support.

Emergency responders and forensic teams worked through the night at the scene, combing through the wreckage for evidence and assisting injured passengers. Some of the wounded remain in critical condition in local hospitals.

Ulm police released a statement confirming the derailment happened on a 90-kilometre (55-mile) stretch of track, adding that rail services in the area have been suspended while investigations and repairs are underway.

Germany’s federal transport safety authority has launched an inquiry into the incident, while environmental agencies are examining the drainage systems in the affected region to assess whether infrastructure weaknesses contributed to the disaster.

This is the latest in a series of weather-related incidents across Germany, as the country grapples with increasingly erratic rainfall and aging public infrastructure.