Two people died in a train accident near Cologne today. According to initial investigations, an Intercity (IC) drove into a group of railway workers. Two of them died. Five workers who witnessed the accident suffered shocks, a federal police spokeswoman said. They were physically unharmed.
The fire brigade and police were deployed in large numbers, and a helicopter circled over the scene of the accident. The accident happened on the open road near Hürth, within sight of a high-rise settlement. The cause of the accident is still unknown, according to police. Investigators secured clues.
According to a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn, the IC 2005 was on its way from Emden to Koblenz. Around 11:00 a.m., the train caught the workers, a police spokesman said. The railway line was closed.
According to Bahn information, there were around 50 people in the IC. They had to remain on the train for hours after the accident and were looked after by emergency managers and police officers.
A transport of the train is not possible for the time being, said a railway spokesman. The train has a braking problem, which was probably caused by the accident.
