Germany
7 killed, 105 hurt in sleeper train crash

An overnight, international train derailed

photo : AP Gallery

and fell down an embankment near Cologne, Germany killing 7 people and injuring 105.
The train, an overnight sleeper between the Netherlands and Switzerland was carrying about 300 people. The accident occurred at about 00:13 local time at Brühl on the outskirts of Cologne. Twenty of the injured are said to be seriously hurt.

The 9 car train became derailed as it was negotiating a series of crossovers, where there was track maintenance. The train's locomotive crashed into the garage of a house and one of the carriages was crushed against a post at the foot of the embankment. No one in the house was hurt. The driver also survived.

Although there is no official explanation of the cause of the derailment, the head of Deutsche Bahn has suggested that the train was travelling at a speed in excess of the 40 km/h speed limit in force.

Web sources:

Seven Die in German Train Crash
Yahoo 06/02/2000

German Train Crash Kills Seven, Injures 105
Excite 06/02/2000