accidents in Switzerland
Two trains derail during storm
04/01/2023, 02:05 am
Two trains derailed in Switzerland, possibly because of a storm. Several people are injured when a railcar falls off the tracks and slides down an embankment.
At least 15 people were injured in two train derailments in stormy weather in northwestern Switzerland. According to the police, the regional trains both derailed on Friday followingnoon just 40 kilometers apart north of the capital Bern. The first incident happened around 4:30 p.m. between Lüscherz and Biel, the second regarding twenty minutes later near Büren zum Hof, according to a spokeswoman for the cantonal police in Bern.
According to the police, three people were injured on the first train, including the train driver. In strong winds, the railcar tipped over to the right and then slid a few meters down a small embankment until it came to a standstill, the Bern canton police said. The rest of the train continued a few meters on the tracks. The police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
There were significantly more injuries when 20 minutes later the second train derailed near the village of Büren to the farm. A police spokeswoman put the number of injured people on Swiss television at twelve, including three children. The police had previously written on Twitter that at least one of the victims was seriously injured.
A spokeswoman for the company Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn said that the accident might have been caused by the storm – but this is not certain. At the time of the accident, a nearby measuring station recorded a gust of wind with a wind speed of 136 kilometers per hour.