In the Rhineland-Palatinate region, located in southern Germany, an accident occurred involving the RB53 passenger train operated by Deutsche Bahn, which was traveling from Wissembourg towards Neustadt. According to the Kazinform agency, the incident took place at a railway crossing when the train collided with a freight truck.
The collision caused a series of explosions and a fire. The truck driver sustained serious injuries, and several passengers were also injured, leading to a temporary halt of train services in the area.
According to police information, the truck was moving slowly in heavy traffic before the collision and stopped at the crossing due to a traffic jam. At the moment of stopping, a train was approaching. The engineer attempted to apply emergency braking, but was unable to avoid the accident.
Debris from the collision was scattered over a significant distance, damaging a nearby vehicle. Both vehicles caught fire.
The truck driver managed to escape from his cabin, but he sustained serious injuries from the debris. Three train passengers were injured due to the sudden braking and were taken to the nearest hospital with minor injuries.
According to eyewitness accounts, one local resident tried to extinguish the flames on the truck with a fire extinguisher before the rescue services arrived, but the fire was too intense. He also provided first aid to the injured driver.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the damage from the incident could amount to several hundred thousand euros. The debris clearance continued throughout the night. During the suspension of train services on this route, bus transportation was organized.
A representative of the local police stated that an assessment of the damage to the railway tracks would be conducted later, after which it would be determined when train services could resume on the damaged section.
Adelya Klycheva
