GERMANY: GERMAN RAILWAY OFFICIALS SAY THAT A DAMAGED WHEEL CAUSED THE COUNTRY'S WORST TRAIN ACCIDENT SINCE WORLD WAR TWO

Record ID: 646483

  • Title: GERMANY: GERMAN RAILWAY OFFICIALS SAY THAT A DAMAGED WHEEL CAUSED THE COUNTRY'S WORST TRAIN ACCIDENT SINCE WORLD WAR TWO
  • Date: 5th June 1998
  • Summary: ESCHEDE, GERMANY (JUNE 4, 1998) (RTV) 1. SLV DAMAGED TRACK (6KMS FROM CRASH SITE) ZOOM IN TO SCU DAMAGED CONTROL BOX 0.12 2. SCU SIGN BY SIDE OF TRACK 0.17 3. SCU DAMAGED BOX / CU DAMAGE 0.28 4. LV ENGINEERS WALK ALONG TRACK ZOOM OUT TILT DOWN TO SCU DAMAGED TRACK 0.41 5. LAS ENGINEERS WALKING ALONG TRACK 0.48 6. CU DAMAGED TRACK 7. SLV ENGINEERS WALKING ALONG TRACK 1.00 NIGHTSHOTS: 8. SLV CRANES AT CRASH SITE 1.08 9. SLV CONCRETE SLAB LIFTED BY CRANE 1.20 10. SLV EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WATCHING 1.27 11. SLV CONCRETE SLAB LIFTED BY CRANE 1.46 12. LAS EMERGENCY WORKERS 1.52 13. SLV CRANE REMOVING DEBRIS 2.07 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th June 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ESCHEDE, GERMANY
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAEBNDUVGIVP262WLFVFRU3FA2W
  • Story Text: German rescue workers toiling under floodlights found a new grim scene on Friday of barely recognisable corpses crushed in the restaurant car of the train that crashed and killed more than 90 people.

    German railway officials said there was mounting evidence that a damaged wheel caused the country's worst train accident since World War Two.

    They cited possible material fatigue and did not rule out a deliberate act of sabotage.

    A spokesman for the official rescue committee told Reuters rescuers no longer expected to find survivors in the mangled wreck of the high-speed Inter City Express luxury train that derailed on Wednesday.

    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).

    Wiswi said that when the bodies had been recovered rescue operations would be suspended until morning because the site had become too dangerous as parts of the bridge were in danger of falling.

    The gruesome restaurant car discovery by the team of some 200 rescuers came at the final stage of the rescue operation.

    The rescuers 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.

    At least 93 people were killed in the crash.


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