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German prosecutors believe human error caused Bavaria train crash German prosecutors believe human error caused Bavaria train crash
(35 minutes later)
Prosecutors say they believe the head-on train crash in southern Germany last week was caused by “human error” by the train dispatcher. A train crash in southern Germany that killed 11 people was probably caused by human error on the part of the train dispatcher, prosecutors have said.
Eleven people died and scores were injured when two commuter trains crashed into each other on a single-line track near Bad Aibling, 40 miles south-east of Munich. More than 80 people were injured when two commuter trains crashed into each other on a single-line track near Bad Aibling, 40 miles south-east of Munich, early on 9 February.
Chief prosecutor Wolfgang Giese said his office has opened a criminal investigation against the 39-year-old dispatcher. Prosecutor Wolfgang Giese said his office has opened a criminal investigation against the 39-year-old dispatcher on suspicion of negligent homicide, bodily harm and interference with rail traffic.
Giese said at a news conference that according to investigators “had he [the dispatcher] behaved according to the rules the trains would not have collided”. “Had he [the dispatcher] behaved according to the rules, the trains would not have collided,” Giese said. He did not identify the man, who was interviewed by police on Monday in the presence of his lawyer.
Investigators believe that the dispatcher, whose job involves directing rail traffic and ensuring safety on the tracks, sent a wrong signal to the trains. After noticing his mistake, he tried to alert the drivers using an emergency call but failed to prevent the crash, prosecutors said.
The two trains were supposed to pass each other at a station where the track was divided, but instead they crashed head-on in a curve.
Giese said a technical failure had been ruled out, but investigators planned to reconstruct the accident to test their theory of what happened.
Another prosecutor, Jürgen Branz, said there was no indication that the dispatcher was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash. “What we have at the moment is a terrible error in this particular situation,” he said.
If convicted, the dispatcher could face up to five years in prison.