The accident occurred shortly after 6:48 a.m. local time (0548 UTC) on Tuesday, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Munich. One train derailed in the head-on collision and several carriages overturned.

Federal spokesman Rainer Scharf said ten people died in the crash and 108 others were injured. Two people are still reportedly missing.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "dismayed and saddened" by the accident.

"My sympathy goes out especially to the families of the nine people who lost their lives," she said.

Black boxes found

Speaking at a press conference in Bad Aibling, the German Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Alexander Dobrindt, said the front carriages of the trains were ripped in two after the vehicles collided while travelling at up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph).

"As the collision occurred on a bend, it's conceivable that the two train drivers didn't see each other beforehand," the CSU member said, adding that it was unclear whether the crash was the result of a technical or human error.

The minister said two of three black boxes, which will help to determine the cause of the accident, have already been found, adding that it would be "unhelpful to speculate" while the evidence was analyzed.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Trains collide near Bad Aibling Eleven people were killed Tuesday when two trains collided near the town of Bad Aibling. Eighty others have been injured.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Full extent of the damage The front carriages of the trains were ripped in two after the vehicles collided while traveling at up to 100 kilometers per hour (60 mph). One of the trains derailed, and several carriages overturned.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Crash site in Bavaria The trains collided near the town of Bad Aibling, southwest of Munich, the capital of the southern German state of Bavaria.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Cause of accident unclear The two trains were scheduled to pass each other in Kolbermoor. Why they deviated from that plan is unclear. As the collision occurred on a bend, it is conceivable that the train drivers did not see each other beforehand.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Rescue workers at the crash site The Red Cross in Bavaria has gathered all the hands it could get to help crash victims as soon as possible. It took some time before all survivors could be freed from the wreckage.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Victims airlifted to hospitals Emergency services airlifted many of the wounded across the Mangfall river to take them to nearby hospitals.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Wounded fighting for their lives Many of the wounded are still fighting for their lives; rescue workers fear the number of casualties will rise.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria German ministers arrive at crash site German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt (left) and Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (center) arrive at the site.

A rush-hour train collision in Bad Aibling, Bavaria Crash during rush hour The crash occurred during rush hour, when commuters travel to Munich. Many children would usually have been among the passengers, but schools are currently on holiday. Author: Marko Langer



Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann thanked emergency services for their efforts and praised neighboring Austria for their support in the rescue efforts.

"[The crash] is one of the biggest train accidents in recent German history, especially for us in Bavaria," he said.

Herrmann told reporters that according to the timetable, the two trains were due to pass each other in Kolbermoor.

"Why there was a deviation from the plan is unclear," he said.

The trains belonged to regional transport company Meridian, part of the Transdev group, while state-owned Deutsche Bahn is responsible for the track.

Deutsche Bahn chairman Rüdiger Grube said the rail company was "deeply upset" by the incident and offered the firm's thoughts to the relatives of those injured and killed.

Difficult rescue operation

Due to the difficult location of the crash site, boats and helicopters were used to transport many of the wounded across the Mangfall river before they were taken to hospital in ambulances.

"This is the biggest accident we have had in years in this region and we have many emergency doctors, ambulances and helicopters on the scene," police spokesperson Stefan Sonntag said.

"At the site of the collision, all you can see is debris. Rescue workers are climbing around and pulling people out," "Bayerischer Rundfunk" quoted a rescue worker as saying.

Within hours of the crash, Munich Blood Donation posted an urgent call for blood donors on its website, saying there was an "acute increased need for life-saving blood products."

'Huge shock'

Chief executive of the Upper Bavarian Rail Service Bernd Rosenbusch said the accident was a "huge shock."

"We are doing everything to help the commuters, their relatives and staff," he added.

Due to Bavaria's Fasching version of this week's carnival celebrations, the train was initially believed to be carrying fewer passengers than would normally be expected during commuter hours. Many children would also have usually been travelling to school, but are currently on holiday.

ksb/jil (dpa, AFP, AP, Reuters)