On Saturday afternoon it is sad certainty: As previously feared, another and thus the fifth fatality was recovered from under one of the overturned regional train wagons.

After hours of salvage work, the wagon was lifted with a special crane and parked on the main road, which runs right next to the route on which the regional train derailed on Friday afternoon.

When the wagon was lifted, rescue workers discovered the body.

“However, we hope that we do not recover more casualties.

We don't expect it," said Stefan Sonntag, spokesman for the police headquarters in Upper Bavaria South, on Saturday of the FAZ.

Karen Truscheit

Editor in the “Germany and the World” department.

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A locomotive and five wagons were part of the accident train that derailed on Friday afternoon on the route from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Munich in the Burgrain district.

Three wagons overturned and fell down an embankment, where they landed right next to the main road.

According to the information, two wagons remained on the track.

One of the three overturned wagons could now be lifted away, the other two were "partially erected".

Due to the inclined position you can see under the cars.

"That's why we're no longer afraid of finding more victims at the moment," says Sunday, who is at the scene of the accident.

A traumatic experience

Getting people off the train as quickly as possible was the goal of the police and fire brigade, who were the first to arrive on Friday afternoon after the first emergency calls had been received at 12:15 p.m.

"It's just a matter of tackling it," says Sonntag, describing the first minutes after the accident.

It was traumatic experiences – for the victims and also for the rescue workers.

All those who were not immediately taken to the hospital were first taken to a collection point by the emergency services, where they received medical and psychological care.

There the personal details were recorded and the police were able to get an initial overview of the number of passengers – at least 140.

Many children were on the train, the Pentecost holidays began in Bavaria on Friday.

In addition to the five fatalities, 44 people were injured, three of whom are still in the hospital with serious injuries.

The spokesman said it was not yet clear how many children were among the injured.

"Determining the identity of the fatalities and injuries takes a lot of time." They also want to first inform the relatives before further information is given.

According to the information, people were still missing in the single digits on Saturday afternoon.

Some passengers may have gone home from the collection point without the knowledge of the police.

Passengers whose personal details have not yet been determined could also be treated in the hospital.

A technical defect?

According to the police, nothing can be said about the cause of the accident, which is one of the worst rail accidents in Germany.

Experts were commissioned to analyze the course of the accident, involving experts from the Federal Railway Authority and the Federal Bureau for Railway Accident Investigation.

In the meantime, the Zug special commission is investigating with around 70 investigators under the direction of the Munich II public prosecutor's office. According to the police, the investigations will take weeks.

The train driver was questioned, but the police did not provide any information about his statements.

The German Press Agency quotes Bavaria's Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) as saying that local experts are of the opinion that "the most likely cause should be a technical defect on the track or on the train".

Bernreiter wrote on Twitter that "no 2nd train and no other vehicle was involved".

According to a railway spokesman, the route was equipped with electronic interlockings and modern safety technology.

The salvage of the wagons is difficult.

Lifting bags and two heavy-duty cranes are in use, and another one is scheduled to arrive from Munich on Saturday.

The main road is closed for the rescue work, that's where the cranes are set up.

Trees between the track and the main road were also felled on Friday to facilitate the rescue work.

During the night, the work was made even more difficult by heavy rain, the police spokesman explains.

And he refers to the high tension that prevails at the wagons that are wedged together.

"There are unbelievable masses to be moved, far more than 100 tons." It is also a dangerous operation for the special forces.

In the meantime, more than 500 emergency services were on site – police, fire brigade, technical relief organization, Red Cross, Bundeswehr.

Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), who got an overview of the scene of the accident on Saturday, described the accident as a "stab in the heart".

He thanked the many rescuers on Saturday and emphasized that many help on a voluntary basis.

The use of the rescue workers, many of whom worked through the night, was "almost superhuman," he wrote on Twitter.