Czech train from Hamburg to Prague loses power after storm, hundreds trapped in 50°C heat
A Czech Railways service from Hamburg to Prague was stranded in Brandenburg on Saturday evening after a storm brought a tree down on power lines, leaving 630 passengers without air conditioning and temperatures soaring to 50°C.
A fully loaded Czech Railways train traveling from Hamburg to Prague came to a halt on Saturday evening in the Prignitz district of Brandenburg, Germany, after a storm felled a tree onto overhead power lines. The incident left around 630 passengers without electricity, air conditioning, and functioning doors for several hours, as Europe experiences a severe heatwave.
The incident
Shortly after the storm on Saturday evening, the train lost all power. Without electricity, the air conditioning failed and the doors remained locked. Emergency services had to cut away trees to reach the train and force the doors open. The regional newspaper Märkische Allgemeine was first to report the incident.
Rescue efforts
Firefighters gave priority to evacuating children, pregnant women, and elderly passengers, while the rest remained on board. After several hours, shortly before 23:00, a diesel locomotive arrived and towed the disabled train to Karstädt. Once there, it became clear the train could not continue its journey. Authorities set up emergency shelter in a sports hall where passengers spent the night.
- Storm brings a tree down onto overhead wires near Karstädt, disabling the Hamburg–Prague train
- Rescue teams cut trees and force open train doors; children, pregnant women and elderly evacuated first
- Shortly before 23:00 a diesel locomotive tows the train to Karstädt station
- About 500 passengers taken by bus to Karstädt station, then continue on Deutsche Bahn ICE trains
Heat and hospitalizations
Inside the stranded train, temperatures rose dramatically. District fire chief Christian Reisinger estimated the heat at around 40 degrees Celsius, while the Märkische Allgemeine reported readings as high as 50 degrees. Three people were taken to hospital with circulatory problems. Germany and much of Europe has been gripped by record-breaking heat in recent days.
The temperatures inside reached about 40 degrees Celsius.
Onward journey
On Sunday morning, local buses transported approximately 500 people to Karstädt station. From there, passengers were able to continue their journeys aboard two ICE high-speed trains operated by Deutsche Bahn. The Czech Railways service was unable to proceed.
