Monorail disaster shakes Germany
By Andrew Keith,WNS Germany Bureau Chief
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is shocked at the scale of the country's monorail accident, in which 23 people were killed. The magnetic train was on a test run when it hit a maintenance wagon, near the northern town of Lathen, at a speed of nearly 200km/h (120mph) on Friday. The accident happened at about 1000 local time (0800 GMT), on a 31.8km (20-mile) test track from Lathen to Doerpen, which is used for tourist trips and to demonstrate the technology.
An inquiry will examine why they were on the track at the same time. Prosecutors said the crash appeared to be the result of human error, possibly due to a radio communication failure. Damaged carriages were left balancing on track 5m (16ft) above the ground following the collision. Rail officials said the service vehicle was used every day to clean the track but it should not have been in operation while the train was running. The track operators said no sign of any technical fault had been found in initial checks.
Reports suggest that most of those on the train were employees working on the system and staff from a local utility company, while the maintenance vehicle had two crew members. "Words don't really help on a day like this," Ms Merkel told reporters after a visit to the crash site on Friday. "By being here I just want to show that our feelings are here in the region, especially with the relatives of the victims and the rescue workers. "This is perhaps a small gesture to show that many, many people in Germany are in mourning and are suffering this evening."
posted by wnsworld @ 5:29 AM
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