S7 accident: human error as the cause?
Minister of the Interior comments - route further blocked
Created: 02/16/2022, 09:20
By: Carl-Christian Eick, Klaus-Maria Mehr, Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss, Katharina Haase, Franziska Konrad, Martin Becker, Andrea Kästle, Günter Hiel, Doris Richter
More and more details are becoming known from the last minutes and seconds before the S-Bahn accident near Schäftlarn.
Meanwhile, Bavaria's Minister of Transport sees no problem with single-track routes.
All reports the day after in our news ticker.
S-Bahn accident near Munich:
Two S-Bahn trains collided near Schäftlarn on Monday (February 14, 2022) at around 4:35 p.m.
"Sch..., there's a train coming"
: Our editorial team reconstructs the last seconds before the accident (Update, February 15, 7:02 p.m.).
"There is usually no problem"
: Bavaria's CSU Minister of Transport Kerstin Schreyer defends single-track routes.
February 16, 6:28 a.m .:
After the collision of two S-Bahn trains south of Munich, the police investigations continue on Wednesday.
"There are specialists out there who still have to measure a lot with special technical equipment," said a spokesman for Munich's police headquarters.
"Therefore it is questionable whether the salvage will already start."
Especially since, among other things, a special crane is required to salvage the smashed trains on the elevated railway embankment;
several parts of the train had jumped off the tracks.
The statics of the railway embankment must also be checked first.
S-Bahn accident near Schäftlarn: human error as the cause?
Route further closed
Human error is suspected to be the cause of the collision, in which 18 people were injured and a young man died.
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said on Tuesday: "As things stand at present, there is no evidence that it is a technical failure." At the moment, the focus may be more on "that one of the two train drivers, the train driver, made a mistake could”. The two train drivers were not yet able to be questioned on Tuesday.
The investigators secured the tachographs of the two railcars and heard witnesses.
According to information from railway circles, the accident route is equipped with an electronic safety device.
The technology monitors train traffic and can brake trains automatically in an emergency.
Apparently, this system also struck and braked at least one train. The railway line will remain closed until further notice, as will the federal road that passes below the accident site.
The railway set up a replacement service with shuttle buses and taxis.
"There is usually no problem": Bavaria's CSU Minister of Transport Kerstin Schreyer defends single-track routes
10:23 p.m .:
Once the first shock has been digested, you will quickly return to the agenda, our rail expert Dirk Walter speculates in his comment on the S-Bahn accident.
Political responsibility is borne by the CSU transport ministers, who would rather invest a billion euros in a car tunnel than expand disaster railway lines.
The current CSU Transport Minister of the Free State, Kerstin Schreyer (CSU), tells the BR on Tuesday evening that single-track routes are not per se more dangerous than double-track ones.
“Investigations have shown that we don't have more accidents on single-track lines than on double-track lines.
Because the technology is so advanced that normally there are no problems.”
9:38 p.m.:
A bang, a jerk and then screams, only screams.
Two passengers in the accident train describe the seconds of the collision.
9:02 p.m .:
A place is in shock.
Our reporter visits Schäftlarn the day after the accident.
Sch..., there's a train coming”: Our editorial team reconstructs the last seconds before the accident
7.02 p.m .:
Around 24 hours after the S7 accident in Schäftlarn, our editors tried to put together all the existing information snippets.
Here's the result:
"Sch..., there's a train coming": What happened in the seconds before the S7 accident.
4.30 p.m .:
The commander of the Hohenschäftlarn fire brigade, Daniel Buck, was one of the first emergency services to arrive at the scene of the accident on Monday afternoon.
The 49-year-old describes his impressions
to the
Münchner Merkur .
“When we arrived at the scene of the accident, the situation was totally confusing.
At first I thought it was just a train that had derailed – when I saw the collision, it was extremely dramatic.” The fire brigade used chainsaws to fight their way through the undergrowth up to the S-Bahn trains that collided head-on.
"A Field of Debris".
that's the first impression.
S-Bahn accident in Schäftlarn: fire brigade reports on use - "Almost everyone was covered in blood"
Now it was about triage: Deciding who to help first, who later.
"We initially left those who could scream and took care of those who could no longer be spoken to," says Daniel Buck, describing the situation.
"Almost everyone was covered in blood - the situation is overwhelming, you have to decide who to help first."
In addition to trapped passengers, the focus of the firefighters was on the two train drivers.
"The engine driver of the S 7 in the direction of Munich apparently initiated an emergency stop and then escaped to the rear," reports Daniel Buck.
The engine driver of the S-Bahn in the direction of Wolfratshausen, meanwhile, had "had the unimaginable luck of his life".
In the completely destroyed driver's cab, 30 centimeters, which remained as a tiny buffer, would have saved him.
"The engine driver had several guardian angels," says Buck.
He also looked the victim in the face: "The young man was so trapped, there was nothing more to do."
Train accident in the district of Munich: psychological stress for the fire brigade
The commander has this to say about his own feelings after the demanding mission: “It was about maintaining composure in a situation when countless people are screaming for help.
It has a psychological effect, on site that evening and throughout Tuesday we worked through what had happened with professional help.
It is important that nobody takes post-traumatic symptoms with them from the mission.”
4 p.m
.: After the S-Bahn accident, there is now a statement from Munich’s Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD).
He was testing a route expansion on the single-track line near Schäftlarn.
"Of course, the causes of this tragic collision must now be investigated very carefully and everything must be done to prevent similar accidents in the future," said Reiter on Tuesday.
"A two-track expansion of this, but also of all other routes in the S-Bahn network, must be urgently examined." His thoughts are with the victims and their families.
"The accident changed their lives dramatically from one moment to the next." He wished the injured a speedy and complete recovery.
3:29 p.m .:
The collision of two S-Bahn trains in Schäftlarn caused one death and six serious injuries.
A 24-year-old Afghan who had been living in the community accommodation for refugees at Loisachbogen in Wolfratshauen for a long time lost his life.
The members of the Asylum Aid Group, chaired by Ines Lobenstein, are deeply shocked.
After the S-Bahn accident: mourning for the deceased 24-year-old – "are deeply shocked"
The young Afghan, who came to Germany in early 2018, "did not lose his life on the dangerous, arduous flight, but in an everyday situation - a ride on the S-Bahn," Lobenstein said in a press release published on Tuesday.
"After a difficult start in life and traumatizing living conditions, he ended up fleeing in Germany." Around four years ago, the Afghan found temporary accommodation in Wolfratshausen.
"In view of such, mostly difficult circumstances, the volunteers of the asylum helpers' group try to make the newcomers' start in life easier and to overcome the first hurdles," explains Lobenstein.
Last but not least, "we have always learned to say goodbye", be it due to deportations or moving to another city.
"But the farewell through death is final and cruel," says the woman from Wolfratshaus.
On behalf of the entire group of asylum workers, Ines Lobenstein explains: "We are deeply shocked and sad that a young life ended so suddenly.
Our sympathy goes to everyone who mourns his loss, especially to his family of origin in Afghanistan, for whom it is no longer possible to say goodbye in person.”
3:02 p.m
.: District Fire Councilor Harald Stoiber (45) also spoke to the
Munich Merkur
about the train accident in Schäftlarn .
He led the operation at the scene of the accident.
From his point of view, there is no initial knowledge of the cause of the accident.
"We don't have any expertise for that and that's also semi-interesting for us.
Our focus was on rescuing the patient quickly, and we were extremely successful in this, as the time window shows - after just thirty minutes we had freed the last people from the debris of the train," says Stoiber.
S-Bahn accident near Schäftlarn: fire brigade reports on use
The district fire council reports on the operation in Schäftlarn.
“Of course, the first sight is depressing and frightening.
But that's what we train for, that's our daily bread: to function under adrenaline in such extreme situations.
The first task was to find an access route on the embankment, in this case using scaling ladders, despite the difficult terrain with a steep incline.
This is also a standard procedure in the fire brigade.”
However, Stoiber also emphasizes: “But an operation like this is not standard.
When bloodied and traumatized people stagger out of the carriages: Such moments cannot be taught.” The same applies to the keyword mental stress.
"No one can prepare for that on an evening like in Schäftlarn," said the district fire councilor.
"So it's about exuding calm and transmitting it from the back to the front, from experienced to young responders.
But when the tension of the action is gone, then the emotions come - these impressive images of the force, dynamics and kinetics of shredded railway wagons, nobody can put up with them.
After the end of the assignment, I went through the ranks of my colleagues, spoke to many, and took stock.”
S-Bahn accident in Schäftlarn: the police denied the report from the Bild newspaper
2:13 p.m .:
The police headquarters in Munich denied the report from the Bild newspaper that “the investigators assume that one of the train drivers drove off despite the red stop signal”.
A spokesman made it clear to the
tz
and the
Munich Merkur
: "That's not true." Rather, the investigations would go in all directions - and thereby illuminate technical causes and possible human error.
1:15 p.m .:
The tragic S-Bahn accident triggered an alarm plan in the LMU Clinic in Großhadern.
In concrete terms, this means that the hospital has activated its emergency capacities.
Within a very short time, nine shock room teams and nine operating rooms were made available in the emergency room.
Additional intensive care capacities were also created, some of which were needed.
Eight of the 18 injured in Schäftlarn were treated in Großhadern, a spokesman said.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: Clinic activates emergency capacities
The background to this: The clinic was involved as a national trauma center for the Munich-Upper Bavaria South area in this so-called mass casualty incident (abbreviated: MANV), the clinic explained on Tuesday.
The Bavarian Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer spoke again after the accident: "One day after the terrible accident, my thoughts are with the relatives of the passenger who died and with the injured, whom I sincerely wish a speedy recovery .
I hope that they do not suffer any permanent damage - this also applies to the soul.
People often have such horrible images in their heads for a long time and that's why I wish everyone that he and she processes it well.
The crisis service was on site and everyone was taken care of and it was also ensured that everyone got home safely.
My thanks go to all the helpers.
At the peak, around 800 emergency services were on site, as I heard from the police.
Thank you for the effort
12.48 p.m .:
The investigations into the cause of the S-Bahn accident are still in full swing.
"A technical problem is currently excluded," said the Bavarian Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann (CSU), to the
image
.
"We continue to investigate in all directions," confirms a spokesman for the Munich police headquarters when asked by
Merkur.de
.
Whether a technical cause was the trigger for the frontal collision is also being examined, as is the possibility of human error.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: Human error cannot be ruled out
12:29 p.m .:
More information about the fatality of the S-Bahn accident in Schäftlarn is now also known.
It is a 24-year-old man from Afghanistan.
According to initial information on site, he came to Germany in 2018 and lived in shared accommodation in Wolfratshausen.
The grief is great in the asylum helper group there.
11:24 a.m .:
After the head-on collision of two S-Bahn trains in the southern district of Munich, the investigations continue on site.
These are expected to continue through Tuesday.
The S7 railway line between Höllriegelskreuth and Wolfratshausen is still closed.
Only when the scene of the accident has been cleared again can DB begin the clean-up and repair work, Deutsche Bahn said in a press release.
"It is not yet possible to forecast when the route can be released again," the letter continues.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: the S7 and B11 railway lines are still closed
The S-Bahn line S 7 in the direction of Wolfratshausen meanwhile runs to Höllriegelskreuth and turns there early.
A rail replacement service with buses between Wolfratshausen and Höllriegelskreuth has been set up - without stopping in Icking.
There is a shuttle service with large taxis between Icking and Wolfratshausen.
The federal highway 11 runs along the railway line between Munich and Wolfratshausen.
According to
BR
, this is also blocked until further notice.
Only rescue workers and residents are currently allowed through here.
10.47 a.m .:
The mayor of Schäftlarn, Christian Fürst (CSU), was deeply affected after the fatal head-on collision between two S-Bahn trains in his community.
"Our thoughts are with the relatives of the fatalities and those injured in the train accident in the Schäftlarn community," he said on Tuesday.
The serious accident left him speechless.
Thanks are due to the numerous rescue workers who helped as quickly as possible.
The number of seriously injured has meanwhile increased from five to six.
In the meantime, the tachographs of the two railcars have also been secured.
In addition, several people have already been questioned by the police about the course of the accident, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
It was initially unclear who exactly the interrogated persons are and whether the two seriously injured train drivers were among them.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: salvage crane to remove trains
The police spokesman expected a larger recovery crane at the accident site in Schäftlarn, south of Munich, for Tuesday afternoon or afternoon.
So far, two cranes have secured the trains, some of which jumped off the tracks.
It is still unclear when exactly the salvage will begin.
9.46 a.m .:
According to police information, the two train drivers are among the people who were seriously injured in the S-Bahn accident in Schäftlarn.
These could be considered important witnesses as to the cause of the collision between the two trains.
It is not yet known whether the two men are currently available and available for a police questioning.
The railway line between Höllriegelskreuth and Wolfratshausen remains closed due to the ongoing salvage work.
Only residents and rescue workers are allowed through.
February 15, 6:40 a.m.:
The day after the serious S-Bahn accident near Schäftlarn, south of Munich, there are still many unanswered questions.
The focus should be on investigating the causes.
How did the accident come about in which a passenger died and 18 people were injured?
As police spokesman Andreas Franken announced late in the evening, the dead man is a 24-year-old Afghan.
Of the 18 people who were injured, five were seriously injured.
The 13 others sustained moderate injuries.
In addition, 25 people were treated as outpatients.
A total of 95 people were on the trains.
Some were able to free themselves from the wagons, while others were helped out by the rescuers.
S-Bahn accident near Schäftlarn: Details still unclear - route closed until further notice
The tracks are elevated on a railway embankment, which made rescue work and recovery of the jammed trains more difficult.
The emergency services were on site well into the night.
A total of around 680 members of the police, fire brigade, rescue services and technical relief organization were involved.
According to the police spokesman, the Munich I public prosecutor's office is leading the investigation into the cause of the accident.
Reviewers should support their work.
Eyewitnesses were also interviewed.
Due to the collision of the S-Bahn, the section between Höllriegelskreuth and Wolfratshausen is closed until further notice.
The S-Bahn line S 7 in the direction of Wolfratshausen runs to Großhesselohe Isar valley station and turns there early.
A rail replacement service with taxis between Wolfratshausen and Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof with all stops along the way has been set up for you.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: number of injured increased
10:42 p.m .:
The number of people injured after the S-Bahn accident in Munich has risen to 18.
As police spokesman Andreas Franken told the dpa, five people suffered serious injuries and 13 were moderately injured.
The passenger killed was therefore a 24-year-old Afghan.
25 inmates from the two S-Bahn were also taken care of on an outpatient basis.
A total of 95 people were in the wagons.
9:48 p.m .:
Deutsche Bahn has set up a rail replacement service.
According to the information, the section of line S7 between Höllriegelskreuth and Wolfratshausen is closed until further notice.
The S-Bahn line S7 in the direction of Wolfratshausen runs to Großhesselohe Isar valley station and turns there early.
Buses run between Wolfratshausen and Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof without stopping in Icking.
Between Icking and Wolfratshausen there is a shuttle service with large taxis.
8:02 p.m .:
According to the Munich fire department, the fatality was a male passenger.
Most of the injured were taken to the Schäftlarn monastery.
14 people were injured, some seriously, 80 other passengers are being examined as a precaution.
Söder and Minister of Transport Schreyer express their sympathy - "It's really dramatic"
Numerous injuries and one dead in the train accident near Munich
View photo gallery
7.45 p.m .:
"It's really dramatic," says the Bavarian Minister of Transport Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) of the scenes on site.
She praises the work of around 200 rescue workers on site.
A crisis intervention team is also deployed.
However, even the minister cannot say how long the mission will last.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder also spoke up: "This is terrible news.
We mourn with the relatives and wish all those injured in the S-Bahn accident a speedy recovery.
Thanks to all the rescue workers for their quick action," he wrote on Twitter.
“Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of the victims of the accident.
We wish the injured a speedy and full recovery,” says Heiko Büttner, head of the Munich S-Bahn.
7:25 p.m .:
Investigations into the cause of the accident should be a matter for the public prosecutor and the state agency for rail accident investigations.
One thing is certain: there had already been disruptions at level crossings along the route during the day.
In such cases, the signals are neutralized, the train drivers receive instructions from the dispatcher and drive "on command".
Maybe there was a misunderstanding here.
However, experts who are well-disposed towards the railways are also stunned: "It's crazy that the railways don't have their single-track routes under control six years after Bad Aibling," said an expert in our newspaper.
7:23 p.m .:
The S-Bahn line and the road below the railway tracks are currently closed.
Many people currently do not know how to get home.
The last train occupants are still being evacuated by the fire brigade.
Not all passengers dared to get off the train and walk down the steep embankment to the street.
Many people are still being studied.
It cannot be ruled out that more were injured.
The front of both S-Bahn trains was completely destroyed.
The driver's cab (left) is hardly recognizable as such.
© Merkur.de
7.20 p.m .:
The police have given a first report to press representatives: According to Andreas Franken, press spokesman for the Munich police headquarters, the accident happened around 4.35 p.m.
According to initial findings, 95 passengers were on the trains.
14 were injured in the collision.
A human died.
The federal police have started the investigation.
A train jumped off the track on impact, but stayed upright.
47 fire brigade vehicles are on site, as well as 100 police officers and 30 federal police forces.
6.47 p.m .:
The police speak of at least one dead.
The number of injured is constantly being revised upwards.
The police are currently talking about 30 injuries.
Two S-Bahn trains collided near Ebenhausen S-Bahn station.
© merkur.de
S-Bahn trains collide near Schäftlarn: there are several injured and one fatality
6:32 p.m .:
There is one fatality after the S-Bahn accident in the Munich district.
This has now been officially confirmed.
The large-scale operation is still in full swing.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: The fire brigade command center has positioned itself in the middle of a street in Schäftlarn.
© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
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6.30 p.m .:
19-year-old Carlos initially wanted his mother to drive him to Munich, but then he took the S-Bahn.
The collision occurred shortly after leaving Ebenhausen station.
All passengers were thrown from their seats.
An old woman then lay on the ground and bled profusely.
A child screamed loudly.
He then pressed the red emergency lever and opened the doors of the S-Bahn.
Then the people got off the train and down the embankment.
Many are in shock.
Emergency vehicles near the scene of the accident after the collision of two S-Bahn trains near Munich.
© Hermsdorf-Hiss
S-Bahn accident near Munich: student speaks of strange driving behavior of the S-Bahn
6.20 p.m .:
The police have set up an emergency center in the Gasthof zur Post.
Our reporters are on site.
Emergency services take care of the passengers from the S-Bahn.
An 18-year-old student was on the S-Bahn towards Wolfratshausen.
He complains of a headache and has an injury to his leg.
He got on at 4:44 p.m. at Ostbahnhof.
According to him, the S-Bahn stopped again and again.
In Pullach she stood in the train station for 10 minutes.
She was already 20 minutes late.
He was sitting in the front car when the S-Bahn stopped just before Ebenhausen.
Suddenly there was a bang and he was thrown forward into a seat.
30 to 40 people would have been in the front car, including many students, many children.
18.08 Uhr: Augenzeugin Lina aus Beuerberg saß in der S-Bahn, die Richtung Wolfratshausen fuhr, ganz hinten. Sie habe sich gewundert, dass die Bahn so kurz vorm Bahnhof Ebenhausen stehen blieb. Kurze Zeit später spürte und hörte sie einen heftigen Knall und sie sei nach vorne geschleudert worden. Als es anfing zu qualmen, hätten die Insassen das Abteil verlassen und sich vorsichtshalber vom Zug entfernt. Da erst habe sie gesehen, dass die Bahn, die Richtung München fahren sollte, frontal in den Zug nach Wolfratshausen gefahren war. Die Fahrerkabinen seien ineinander verkeilt gewesen.
18.05 Uhr: Offenbar ist ein Mensch bei dem Unfall ums Leben gekommen. Offiziell bestätigen will die Polizei das noch nicht. Doch sie spricht von Verletzten im zweistelligen Bereich.
S-Bahn accident near Munich: A current photo from the scene.
© Hermsdorf-Hiss
17.43 Uhr: Offenbar wurden einige Menschen bei dem Zugunglück verletzt. Ersten Schilderungen von Augenzeugen zufolge ereignete sich der Unfall auf einem Streckenabschnitt zwischen Ebenhausen und Schäftlarn (Landkreis München), der eingleisig verläuft. Offenbar wollte die S-Bahn in Richtung Wolfratshausen gerade um die letzte Kurve biegen, bevor sie in Sichtweite des Bahnhofs Ebenhausen kam. Aus noch unklarer Ursache war da die S-Bahn in Richtung München bereits losgefahren und die beiden Züge stießen zusammen. Derzeit sind viele Einsatzkräfte der Feuerwehren im Einsatz. Zahlreiche Rettungsdienste sind vor Ort und kümmern sich um Verletzte und Menschen, die offenbar unter Schock stehen. Wärmedecken werden ausgegeben. Hubschrauber kreisen über das Gelände und Zeugen werden befragt.
S-Bahn-Unfall bei München: Gelände nur schwer zugänglich
17.22 Uhr: Die beiden Bahnen sind offenbar an einem Hang, etwa in der Höhe zum Abzweig der Straße zum Kloster zusammengestoßen. Das Gelände ist laut einer Augenzeugin schwer zugänglich. Infos zu Verletzten gibt es noch nicht. Aktuell liegen noch keine weiteren Details vor, heißt es auch von der Deutschen Bahn.
S-Bahnen zwischen Ebenhausen und Schäftlarn im Landkreis München zusammengestoßen
ERSTMELDUNG 17.14 Uhr: Zwischen Ebenhausen und Schäftlarn sind nach ersten Angaben der Polizei am späten Montagnachmittag zwei S-Bahnen zusammengestoßen. Näheres ist noch nicht bekannt. Unklar ist auch noch, ob Menschen verletzt wurden. Kräfte von Polizei und Feuerwehr sind im Einsatz.
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