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Train derailment near Vienna kills 1

May 9, 2022

It's not yet clear what caused the train to come off the tracks. At least one person has been killed and several others are being treated for injuries in hospital.

https://p.dw.com/p/4B3YV
Rescue workers crowd around a train that lies on its side after coming off the railway tracks
Dozens of emergency workers were at the scene to extract people from the derailed carriagesImage: APA/dpa/picture alliance

A train has derailed south of the Austrian capital, Vienna, killing at least one person and leaving several other passengers with injuries, according to the Red Cross.

The incident happened at around 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Monday.

"One person died, three have been seriously injured and nine lightly injured," Andreas Zenker of the Red Cross of Lower Austria told the AFP news agency.

Austria's national railway, ÖBB, said the train came off the tracks near the town of Münchendorf.

It's not yet clear what caused the accident. 

Local media reported that a large team of rescue workers as well as four emergency helicopters had been dispatched to the scene.

Two train carriages lie on their side next to a railway track
Authorities say they don't know what caused the train to derailImage: APA/dpa/picture alliance

The first images suggested that two carriages had tipped over in the incident, while the others that were visible appeared to still be upright. The train was a comparatively small one.

Deadly train accidents are uncommon in the Alpine country of around 9 million inhabitants.

nm/msh (Reuters, AFP, dpa)