Image: FABRICE COFFRINI (AFP)
A police spokesman confirmed media reports that the accidents happened on Friday afternoon near Lüscherz and Büren zum Hof. A total of 15 people were injured, one of them seriously. Possible causes are strong gusts of wind. A storm was raging at the time of the derailments.
According to a report by the cantonal police in Bern, the first derailment occurred around 4:30 p.m. near Lüscherz station. There, the train’s railcar tipped on its side in strong winds and slid a few meters down a small embankment. Three people sitting in the railcar were injured in this accident, including the engine driver. They were taken to the hospital. The railway operator Aare Seeland Mobil spoke on its website of a derailment due to a natural phenomenon. The police are investigating the causes.
Hurricane gusts and 5000 lightning bolts
At 4:50 p.m., a regional train derailed in Büren zum Hof, about 40 kilometers away. According to the Bern canton police, twelve people were injured, one of them seriously. At the time of the accident, a nearby measuring station recorded a gust of 136 km/h. That’s hurricane strength. The transport company Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS) spoke of strong gusts of wind as a possible cause. Both trains derailed on narrow-gauge lines.
The storm “Mathis” swept across parts of Switzerland on Friday. The strong winds also caused route interruptions in other regions. Meteorologists registered up to 5,000 lightning bolts during the passing thunderstorms. It should continue to be windy on Saturday, albeit with slightly lower wind speeds.
Source: Nachrichten
