Tiefencastel derailment
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| Tiefencastel derailment | |
|---|---|
 The derailed carriages. | |
| Details | |
| Date | 13 August 2014 12:30 CEST |
| Location | Tiefencastel, Graubünden |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Line | Albula Railway |
| Operator | Rhaetian Railway |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Landslide struck train |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | 140[citation needed] |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 10 (4 serious)[citation needed] |
The Tiefencastel derailment occurred near the municipality of Tiefencastel, Switzerland, on 13 August 2014 when a passenger train travelling on the Albula Railway was struck by a landslide and derailed. Ten people were injured, four seriously, and 1 person died.
At 12:30 CEST (10:30 UTC) on 13 August 2014,[1] a Rhaetian Railway passenger train on the Albula Railway was struck by a landslide and derailed. The train was travelling from St. Moritz to Chur.[2] Of the seven-coach train, one carriage was left almost at right angles to the track down an embankment, and two others were derailed.[3][4] Trees prevented the carriage from ending up in the Albula.[2] Eleven people were injured, five seriously, and one of the seriously injured, an 85 year old man, later died.[5][6] There were 140 passengers on the train. Two of the injured were Japanese and one was an Australian.[7] The other eight victims were Swiss.[8] In one of the derailed carriages, passengers moved to one side of the carriage in a bid to prevent it from plunging into a ravine.[9] The train was hauled by Ge 4/4 III-class locomotive No. 651.[2]
Four helicopters and eight ambulances assisted in the rescue operations. All the passengers had been evacuated within three hours of the accident.[2] They were taken to Chur by bus to continue their journey by train.[7] In a twelve-hour period before the accident, rainfall was recorded at a 50-60 litres per square metre, about half the average rainfall for the month of August in the area, according to a statement by MeteoSwiss.[2] The railway reopened on 16 August. On that date, six people remained in hospital with injuries described as "non life threatening".[4]
Investigation
The Swiss Accident Investigation Board has opened an investigation into the accident.[1] A separate investigation was opened by the Canton of Graubünden.[4][needs update]