Death toll rises to five in Germany train crash

MUNICH, June 4 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The German emergency services have recovered this Saturday the body of the fifth fatality of the serious railway accident that occurred on Friday near the alpine town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

One person died on the way to the hospital on Friday and the bodies of the other four could be rescued today from the remains of the wagons. At the moment there are no children among the fatalities.

This morning, the authorities had warned that there were still missing and it could not be ruled out that there were more people who had not been able to be located due to the state in which the wagons were left. A police spokesman updated the number of injured to 40, three of them seriously.

Removing the badly damaged railcars is proving very difficult because they are "twisted and warped," he added, which "makes recovery so difficult."

The cause of the accident remains unclear, although it was learned that the train driver was questioned. The only certainty so far is that there was no collision with another vehicle.

"On the ground, all experts were of the opinion that the most likely cause is a technical defect on the track or in the train," Bavarian Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter told DPA on Monday.

The person in charge announced that throughout the day experts will continue to arrive to analyze the area.

The accident occurred at noon on Friday and derailed several double-decker carriages, which slid down an embankment and came to rest next to a road.

About 140 people were traveling on the train, including children. Some of the victims suffered serious injuries and had to undergo emergency surgery. It was one of the most serious rail accidents in recent years in Germany.

The country's federal president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has reacted "with great consternation": "My thoughts are with the injured and all their families in these difficult hours," he said in a statement.

"I want to thank all the police officers and lifeguards for their tireless and important effort," he added.