On Tuesday, February 11th, a high-speed intercity train in Hamburg, Germany collided with a semi-truck at a railroad crossing in the outskirts, resulting in one fatality and 25 injuries.
According to a statement released by Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German railway company, at around 2 p.m. local time, the InterCity Express (ICE) train from Roenneburg in the southern part of Hamburg was en route to Munich when it collided with a speeding semi-truck at a railroad crossing. The train was carrying approximately 300 passengers at the time of the accident.
Upon receiving the report, around 80 personnel from the Hamburg Fire Department were immediately dispatched to the scene. A police spokesperson stated that a 55-year-old male passenger sustained severe injuries, was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately passed away. Among the injured, 6 individuals suffered moderate injuries, while 19 sustained minor injuries, including the truck driver.
Local media reported that the truck belonged to a railway track manufacturing company. At the time of the accident, the truck, laden with railway tracks, was attempting to cross the railroad crossing when the barrier in front of it suddenly closed, causing the rear of the truck to halt on the tracks. The high-speed train passing through the area was unable to brake in time.
Photographs taken at the scene after the accident showed severe damage to the rear of the truck, with railway tracks and debris scattered all around.
Following the incident, passengers on the train were evacuated urgently, and the relevant railway section was temporarily closed, leading other trains to be rerouted.
The police spokesperson revealed that the 34-year-old truck driver has been taken into custody for questioning by the authorities. The specific cause of the accident is currently under further investigation.
Deutsche Bahn emphasized that they are fully supporting the authorities in investigating the cause of the incident and the scene of the accident.