At least three people have been confirmed dead and several others injured after a passenger train derailed in southwestern Germany on Sunday, July 27, 2025.
According to authorities, the incident occurred around 6:10 p.m. local time near the town of Riedlingen, close to Stuttgart. Two carriages of the regional train derailed in a forested area, with approximately 100 passengers on board at the time.
A spokesperson for the Federal Police Inspectorate in Stuttgart confirmed the fatalities and described the situation as "still unclear." The train was operating along a 90-kilometre (55-mile) route between Sigmaringen and Ulm.
National railway operator Deutsche Bahn stated that the cause of the derailment remains unknown, although reports suggest there had been a storm in the region shortly before the incident.
"The exact situation is still unclear at this time," Deutsche Bahn said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the victims and everyone who now has to process this experience."
Photographs from the scene showed carriages lying on their sides amid fallen trees, while emergency responders, including fire, medical, and police units, worked tirelessly around the wreckage.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his shock in a post on X, saying, “The train accident in the Biberach district has dismayed me. I am in close contact with the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Transport and have asked them to support the rescue services with all means possible. We mourn the victims. I express my condolences to their families.”
An investigation into the cause of the crash is currently ongoing.
