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A train derailment that left three people dead in southwestern Germany on Sunday may have been caused by an overflowing sewer following torrential rainfall, according to local police and prosecutors.
Authorities said in a joint statement on Monday that heavy rain in the area appeared to have caused a sewage shaft to flood, which subsequently triggered a landslide on an embankment beside the railway tracks. The landslide is believed to have led directly to the train’s derailment.
The incident took place around 6:10 pm local time (1610 GMT) near the town of Riedlingen in the state of Baden-Württemberg. At the time, violent storms were sweeping through the region, according to meteorological reports.
Approximately 100 passengers were onboard when the train left the tracks. Among the three fatalities were the train driver and a staff member, police confirmed. At least 41 other individuals were injured, several of them seriously.
While the affected railway line remains closed, authorities said clean-up operations are scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing, but officials have stated there is currently no evidence of foul play or tampering with the railway infrastructure.
The tragedy comes as Germany, like much of Europe, faces increasingly erratic and extreme weather events, with heavy downpours frequently overwhelming local drainage systems and infrastructure.
