At least 10 dead, scores hurt as two passenger trains collide in Germany

Police say at least 10 people have died and about 100 have been injured — 17 very seriously — as two passengers trains collided head-on in southern Germany. The passenger trains crashed near Bad Aibling, around 40 miles south-east of Munich, at 6.48am local time, causing several wagons to overturn. German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt said the trains had been travelling around a curve and could have been moving at a speed of around 100kmph (62mph) each. About 500 passengers were pulled from the wreckage and all the injured are now being treated in hospital.

This is the biggest accident we have had in years in this region and we have many emergency doctors, ambulances and helicopters on the scene.

Police spokesman Stefan Sonntag

The trains both partially derailed and are wedged into each other, according to the train company. An investigation has begun into what caused the crash but experts said the key may lie in the fact the trains were on a single railway track. Mr Dobrindt said the stretch of track was fitted with a safety system designed to automatically stop trains to prevent such a crash and it is not known why this did not work. He added: “We expect that both drivers did not have sight contact previously and, therefore, collided without being able to brake or slow down.”

We are doing everything to help the passengers, relatives and employees.

Bernd Rosenbusch, the head of the Bayerische Oberlandbahn, which runs the trains.

Bavaria trains