GERMANY: TWO DAYS AFTER GERMANY'S WORST EVER TRAIN CRASH RESCUE WORKERS SAY THEY NO LONGER EXPECT TO FIND ANY MORE SURVIVORS

Record ID: 383680

  • Title: GERMANY: TWO DAYS AFTER GERMANY'S WORST EVER TRAIN CRASH RESCUE WORKERS SAY THEY NO LONGER EXPECT TO FIND ANY MORE SURVIVORS
  • Date: 4th June 1998
  • Summary: NEAR ESCHEDE, GERMANY (JUNE 5, 1998) (RTV) 1. LV/SLV NIGHT VIEWS OF RESCUE WORKERS AT WORK UNDER FLOODLIGHTS AND CRANE LIFTING SECTIONS OF BRIDGE (7 SHOTS) 0.37 2. LAS WHEELS BEING LIFTED (2 SHOTS) 0.50 3. SLV DAY SHOTS PAN VEHICLES AT SITE/ RESCUE WORKERS (2 SHOTS) 1.04 4. SCU BORDER POLICE SPOKESMAN MICHAEL LANGE SAYING "THIS MORNING AT 0230 THE WORK AT THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN STOPPED AND THE BIGGEST PART OF THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN PUT AWAY, TWO VICTIMS WERE FOUND AND SO THE SITUATION IS THAT 95 PERSONS HAVE BEEN KILLED. (ENGLISH) 1.29 5. LAS REVOLVING POLICE SIGN 1.32 6. SCU LANGE SAYING "I DON'T THINK THAT WE WILL FIND ANYMORE VICTIMS." (ENGLISH) 1.36 ESCHEDE, GERMANY (JUNE 4, 1998) (RTV) 7. SLV EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES PAN TO CRANES AT CRASH SITE 1.48 8. SLV WRECKAGE PAN TO DEBRIS BEING LIFTED REVEALING EMPTY SHELL OF COMPARTMENT ON IT'S SIDE WITH SEATS IN PLACE 2.05 9. SLV DEBRIS BEING LIFTED AND DROPPED INTO SKIP 2.12 10. SLV EMERGENCY WORKERS 2.16 11. HAS PAN LEFT WRECKAGE 2.29 12. LV DAMAGED TRACK (6KMS FROM CRASH SITE) ZOOM INTO DAMAGED TRACK 2.40 13. MV SIGN BY SIDE OF TRACK 2.45 14. CU DAMAGE TO TRACK (2 SHOTS) 2.56 15. LV ENGINEERS WALKING ALONG TRACK ZOOM OUT TILT DOWN TO SCU DAMAGED TRACK 3.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th June 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ESCHEDE, GERMANY
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7H13MCWBAMABZL8ME9IW2W0M
  • Story Text: Two days after Germany's worst train accident since World War II, rescue workers said they no longer expected to find survivors in the wreck of the high-speed Intercity Express train.

    Railway officials said there was mounting evidence that a damaged wheel caused the accident.

    Rescue workers struggled deep into the night using three huge cranes to lift chunks of a 200-tonne road bridge that collapsed on the train's carriages when it derailed and hurtled against the bridge at 200 kph (125 mph).

    At the final stage of the rescue operation they discovered the restaurant car and said there were no more carriages left in the rubble.

    A total of about 1,200 rescuers were brought in at the peak of the operation.

    Railway officials on Friday (June 5) cited possible material fatigue and did not rule out that a deliberate act of sabotage caused the crash.

    Border Police Spokesman Michael Lange said rescuers found two more victims, bringing the death toll to 95, and that they no longer expected to find survivors.

    Acknowledging the possibility of defect in the train, German Railways ordered 60 of its fleet of sleek Inter City Express trains to be taken into repair shops for examination, causing long delays during commuter traffic on Friday morning.


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