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| Black boxes recovered from site of German train crash that killed 10 | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Rescue workers at the site of a head-on collision between two commuter trains in southern Germany have uncovered two black boxes and are searching for a third. | Rescue workers at the site of a head-on collision between two commuter trains in southern Germany have uncovered two black boxes and are searching for a third. |
| The transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said the black boxes would likely hold the key to the cause of the accident, which has killed at least 10 people and injured scores more, at least nine of whom are in a critical condition. | |
| Speaking at a press conference in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, close to where the accident took place, Dobrindt described having visited the site shortly before. | Speaking at a press conference in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, close to where the accident took place, Dobrindt described having visited the site shortly before. |
| “There’s a horrific picture to be seen there,” he said. “It was shocking to see how both trains had smashed into each other. One of the trains had bored into the other.” | “There’s a horrific picture to be seen there,” he said. “It was shocking to see how both trains had smashed into each other. One of the trains had bored into the other.” |
| He said the trains “must have been travelling at very high speed”, adding that the speed limit at that part of the track was 100 km/hour. | He said the trains “must have been travelling at very high speed”, adding that the speed limit at that part of the track was 100 km/hour. |
| The accident spot was on a curve in the track, he said, leading accident investigators to surmise that the drivers “did not have eye contact and neither had braked before they crashed into each other”. | The accident spot was on a curve in the track, he said, leading accident investigators to surmise that the drivers “did not have eye contact and neither had braked before they crashed into each other”. |
| Both drivers of the trains, which were travelling on the single-track railway line, were among the dead. | Both drivers of the trains, which were travelling on the single-track railway line, were among the dead. |
| Dobrindt said the accident investigation would focus in part on whether the cab signalling system with which both trains were fitted, called PZB90, were working. The system is meant to prevent collisions by triggering an alarm if two trains are on the same stretch of track, and was introduced across the German rail network after two trains crashed in Saxony Anhalt in January 2011, killing 10. | Dobrindt said the accident investigation would focus in part on whether the cab signalling system with which both trains were fitted, called PZB90, were working. The system is meant to prevent collisions by triggering an alarm if two trains are on the same stretch of track, and was introduced across the German rail network after two trains crashed in Saxony Anhalt in January 2011, killing 10. |
| “It should automatically prevent train collisions by forcing the trains to brake,” Dobrindt said. “We need to look at whether this happened or not.” He called the tragedy “one of the worst train accidents of recent years” and said it was a “difficult hour in the history of German train travel”. | “It should automatically prevent train collisions by forcing the trains to brake,” Dobrindt said. “We need to look at whether this happened or not.” He called the tragedy “one of the worst train accidents of recent years” and said it was a “difficult hour in the history of German train travel”. |
| Dobrindt praised the 500 rescue workers who took part in the rescue and salvage operations, saying that the fire brigade had reached the scene three minutes after receiving the alarm. | Dobrindt praised the 500 rescue workers who took part in the rescue and salvage operations, saying that the fire brigade had reached the scene three minutes after receiving the alarm. |
| Rescue workers described how the operation was hampered by the relative inaccessibility of the crash site – sandwiched between a canal and a steep wooded incline. | Rescue workers described how the operation was hampered by the relative inaccessibility of the crash site – sandwiched between a canal and a steep wooded incline. |
| Some victims were airlifted to local hospitals by a fleet of 15 rescue helicopters, or by boat along the canal. The most seriously injured were taken to hospitals in Munich, Bavaria’s main city. | Some victims were airlifted to local hospitals by a fleet of 15 rescue helicopters, or by boat along the canal. The most seriously injured were taken to hospitals in Munich, Bavaria’s main city. |
| Joachim Hermann, Bavaria’s interior minister, who visited the site with Dobrindt, said the trains, one of which was travelling from Holzkirchen and the other from Rosenheim, were due to have met at a station in Kolbermoor. Hermann said that “for some reason” there had been a deviation from the timetable and the trains were not in Kolbermoor at the same time. | Joachim Hermann, Bavaria’s interior minister, who visited the site with Dobrindt, said the trains, one of which was travelling from Holzkirchen and the other from Rosenheim, were due to have met at a station in Kolbermoor. Hermann said that “for some reason” there had been a deviation from the timetable and the trains were not in Kolbermoor at the same time. |
| The trains collided near Bad Aibling at 6.48am on Tuesday. | The trains collided near Bad Aibling at 6.48am on Tuesday. |
| A spokesman for the train operator, TransDev, a French company, confirmed that a driving instructor together with an apprentice train driver had been travelling in the traction unit of one of the trains. | A spokesman for the train operator, TransDev, a French company, confirmed that a driving instructor together with an apprentice train driver had been travelling in the traction unit of one of the trains. |
| The deputy police president, Robert Kopp, told the press conference the trains were carrying 150 passengers. He said it was “a lucky chance” that due to school holidays “considerably fewer people were in the trains than normal”. Two people remain unaccounted for. | The deputy police president, Robert Kopp, told the press conference the trains were carrying 150 passengers. He said it was “a lucky chance” that due to school holidays “considerably fewer people were in the trains than normal”. Two people remain unaccounted for. |
| Klaus-Dieter Josel, a representative of Germany’s national train operator, Deutsche Bahn, said there had never been any problems on the 23-mile (37km) stretch of track. Routine checks carried out last week found no cause for concern. | Klaus-Dieter Josel, a representative of Germany’s national train operator, Deutsche Bahn, said there had never been any problems on the 23-mile (37km) stretch of track. Routine checks carried out last week found no cause for concern. |
| Dobrindt said he was in close contact with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Bavaria’s prime minister, Horst Seehofer, who had “offered their sympathy and expressions of sadness and also thanked the rescue teams”. | Dobrindt said he was in close contact with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Bavaria’s prime minister, Horst Seehofer, who had “offered their sympathy and expressions of sadness and also thanked the rescue teams”. |
| Philippa Oldham, the head of transport at London’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said it was still too early to say what had caused the crash, but that the signalling system would be a main point of focus. | Philippa Oldham, the head of transport at London’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said it was still too early to say what had caused the crash, but that the signalling system would be a main point of focus. |
| “Signalling systems should normally prevent two trains on the same track travelling in different directions … accident investigators will be examining whether there were any other technical or component causes like rail breakages, train defects or damage caused by vandalism that could have contributed to the accident,” she said. | “Signalling systems should normally prevent two trains on the same track travelling in different directions … accident investigators will be examining whether there were any other technical or component causes like rail breakages, train defects or damage caused by vandalism that could have contributed to the accident,” she said. |