In Rhineland-Palatinate, in southern Germany, a serious accident occurred: the RB53 passenger train of Deutsche Bahn, traveling from the French town of Wissembourg to the German town of Neustadt, collided with a truck at a railway crossing. This information was provided by the Kazinform agency, citing DW.
After the impact, several explosions followed, resulting in a fire. The truck driver sustained serious injuries, and several passengers were also injured. Train traffic on this section was temporarily suspended.
According to the police, the truck was moving slowly in heavy traffic and stopped at the crossing due to a traffic jam. At that moment, a train was approaching it. The driver attempted to apply emergency braking, but the collision could not be avoided.
As a result of the accident, debris was scattered over a significant distance, damaging a nearby vehicle. Both vehicles caught fire.
The truck driver managed to escape from the cabin but sustained severe injuries from the flying debris. Three train passengers were injured due to the sudden braking and were taken to the nearest hospital with minor injuries.
Eyewitnesses, as reported by the media, stated that a local resident attempted to extinguish the fire in the truck with a fire extinguisher, but according to him, the flames were too strong. He also provided first aid to the injured driver.
Investigators estimate the material damage from the incident at several hundred thousand euros. The wreckage was cleared throughout the night. During this time, bus services were organized for the canceled trains.
A representative of the local police indicated that the assessment of the damage to the railway tracks has not yet been completed, and a decision on restoring traffic on them will be made later.
Adelya Klycheva
