Railway wagons weighing tons get out of control, sometimes tip over and slide down a railway embankment. In the accident on the Scottish North Sea coast, three people died and six others were injured. Heavy rains could have been to blame.
Stonehaven (dpa) - According to the British Transport Police, three people were killed in a train accident in Scotland. The train derailed on Wednesday morning after heavy rainfall near the city of Stonehaven in the northeast of the country.
He was on his way from Aberdeen to Glasgow. The train driver is said to be among the dead. Six people were rushed to hospital with minor injuries. An even greater tragedy was possibly only avoided because there were only a few passengers on the train.
The police initially gave no information about the cause. A police spokesman announced a thorough investigation. According to media reports, the accident could have been triggered by a landslide caused by heavy rains. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Sky News that the rain had undoubtedly exacerbated the problem. "I think it is probably a very good idea to look everywhere at the effect that significant rainfall has on fragile infrastructure," said the prime minister. Heavy thunderstorms are forecast in parts of Great Britain in the coming days.
According to the British news agency PA, the locomotive had slipped off the embankment with three of its four wagons. Overturned and partly stacked wagons could be seen on television pictures. Smoke rose from the scene of the accident. Dozens of ambulances and at least one rescue helicopter were in use. Just a few hours before the accident, the operator of the railway, ScotRail, had informed about restrictions on operations due to flooding.
Scotland's Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed her condolences for the families of the victims on Twitter. "My deepest condolences go to the dearest of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident," said the head of government.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200812-99-141296 / 5
