Several dead in high-speed train test crash in Germany
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-09-22 21:02

BERLIN - Several people died when an elevated ultra-modern train crashed into a wagon at high speed during a test run in northwestern Germany.

The magnetic levitation Transrapid train had been travelling at around 200 kilometres (124 miles) per hour on a concrete rail built several metres (yards) above the ground in Emsland near the city of Osnabrueck when it hit an engineering wagon.

A German high speed magnetic float train, Transrapid, is seen at the experimental center in Lathen, northern Germany, on July 2, 2000. A high-speed magnetic train went off a test track nearby Osnabrueck, northwestern Germany, Friday, Sept. 22, 2006 injuring 25 people, police said. (AP
A German high speed magnetic float train, Transrapid, is seen at the experimental center in Lathen, northern Germany, on July 2, 2000. A high-speed magnetic train went off a test track nearby Osnabrueck, northwestern Germany, Friday, September 22, 2006 injuring 25 people, police said. [AP]

A spokesman for local authorities in the district of Meppen said some passengers had died but he could not give an exact figure.

Police said around 20 passengers had been injured. The train was carrying some 30 people when the accident took place at around 9:30 am (0730 GMT).

N-24 television reported that 10 injured passengers had been taken to hospital.

It showed rescue workers being hoisted up to the train on cranes to try and reach the remaining passengers. Train seats, bags and clothes were scattered on the ground.

Ewald Temmen from Emsland police told the NTV news channel that the train had remained on its track but was "badly damaged".

He said it was proving difficult to reach victims because the rail was suspended some five metres (16 feet) above the ground.

The accident happened on a 31.8-kilometre (19.8-mile) concrete test track.

Transrapid spokeswoman Claudia Hohmann told N-24 news channel that she could not confirm reports that the passengers were relatives of employees at the test site.

"At the moment we have more questions than answers," she said.

A government spokesman said Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee had decided to cut short a visit to China to return to Germany after learning of the accident.

The Transrapid train is a joint venture between German engineering giants Siemens and ThyssenKrupp.