accidents
Two regional trains derailed in Switzerland
A regional train that derailed in Büren zum Hof, Switzerland. photo
© Manuel Lopez/KEYSTONE/dpa
A storm front sweeps across Switzerland with wind speeds of over 130 km/h. Two regional trains derail, there are a total of fifteen injured.
In the Swiss canton of Bern, two regional trains derailed in stormy weather. According to the police, a total of fifteen people were injured on Friday, one of them seriously. According to a police spokesman, the accidents happened in the afternoon near Lüscherz and Büren zum Hof.
The storm “Mathis” swept across parts of Switzerland on Friday. As the state weather service MeteoSwiss announced on Saturday, wind peaks of over 130 km/h were measured in places.
At around 4:30 p.m., a railcar from the Aare Seeland Mobil transport company fell on its side near the Lüscherz train station in strong winds and slid a few meters over a small embankment. Three people sustained injuries, including the train driver.
Shortly thereafter, a Bern-Solothurn regional train derailed 40 kilometers away. According to the canton police, twelve people were injured, one of them seriously. At the time of this accident, a nearby measuring station recorded a gust of 136 km/h, according to the private weather service Meteonews.
Strong winds also caused train disruptions in other regions of Switzerland. Mountain railways and the Swiss Lake Constance shipping company ceased operations. In Liestal near Basel, the roof construction of a construction site was thrown against a house facade. One person was slightly injured, police said. In the canton of Aargau, the gusts of wind knocked down trees and damaged buildings.