Run over by wagon

Shunting ladder had its legs severed at Voest

A horrific accident happened at Voest in Linz. During shunting work, the shunting ladder fell onto the tracks and was run over by the first wagon. The 51-year-old's leg and foot were severed.

The accident happened at 2.25 a.m. on Sunday morning at Voest: a Bosnian shunting foreman (51) from Sankt Nikola was shunting seven wagons. However, he was not standing on the secured platform as prescribed, but on the steps of the front wagon.

Braking maneuver ordered by radio
When he ordered a braking maneuver by radio, the Bosnian fell onto the tracks and was run over by the first wagon. His lower left leg and front right foot were severed.

Rail accidents in Austria
A look at the analysis by Statistics Austria shows that there are not so few rail accidents in Austria: 60 accidents were recorded in 2017, 38 people were seriously injured and 18 were killed. After this peak, things dropped significantly: in 2021 - these are the latest figures - there were "only" 34 accidents on the tracks, with 24 serious injuries and 14 fatalities.