Agency Report –
Twelve people were injured when a high-speed train collided with a semi-trailer outside the northern German city of Hamburg on Tuesday afternoon, according to the fire brigade.
One person sustained life-threatening injuries and has been brought to hospital, a spokesman said.
Another passenger suffered serious injuries while 10 people were slightly injured, he added, without providing further details.
The spokesman said police were preparing to evacuate the remaining 269 passengers from the train.
According to the federal police, some 300 passengers had been aboard the train en route to the north-western city of Bremen when it crashed into the semi-trailer at a crossing in the district of Rönneburg on the southern outskirts of Hamburg.
According to initial findings, the lorry was carrying train tracks, with the cargo scattered far and wide as a result of the collision.
The section of the railway line connecting Hamburg’s southern Harburg district with Buchholz in the neighbouring state of Lower Saxony has been closed due to the accident.
Trains on the line are being diverted, a spokeswoman for railway operator Deutsche Bahn said, reporting minor delays of up to 15 minutes for long-distance travellers.
By Christiane Bosch
