A train has derailed in southern Germany, killing four people and leaving 30 injured, police have said.
The train had just left the ski resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen for Munich, when the accident took place near the Burgrain district of the town, just past midday on Friday.
Four people died in the crash, 15 were severely injured, while another 15 sustained less serious injuries, said a police spokesman, updating an earlier count.
Police said the train was “very crowded” at the time of the crash.
Several carriages were lying on their side and a major emergency services operation is under way, officers said.
Part of the line between Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen has been blocked off and traffic diverted, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said.
“In the serious train accident, as of 3:32pm, four people were fatally injured,” police said.
“Around 30 passengers were injured, 15 of them so seriously that they have had to be admitted to nearby hospitals.”
Stefan Sonntag of Upper Bavaria police said the regional train was “very crowded and many people were using it, hence the high number of injured”.
School holidays started on Saturday in the southern German regions Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria, raising fears children may count among the train passengers.
Mr Sonntag said he did not have information on this.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen and its surrounding regions are gearing up to host the G7 summit of world leaders later this month.
From June 26 to June 28, heads of state and government — including US President Joe Biden — are due to meet at Schloss Elmau, about 11 kilometres from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Police and soldiers on security duty at the G7 site were deployed to help in the rescue operation.
Three helicopters from Austria's nearby Tyrol region were scrambled to the scene to provide first aid, according to media reports.
Germany's deadliest rail accident happened in 1998, when a high-speed train operated by Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede, in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people.
The most recent fatal crash took place in February, when one person was killed and 14 injured in a collision between two local trains near Munich.
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
