Security guard critically injured in fall from moving train in Germany

A security guard working for German rail operator Deutsche Bahn was critically injured after falling from a moving train during a violent confrontation with a passenger, police and prosecutors said on Saturday.

The incident happened on Friday evening during a ticket inspection on a train travelling from Offenburg to Karlsruhe in south-western Germany.

A verbal dispute apparently broke out during the inspection, prompting two Deutsche Bahn security guards to be called in, according to the statement released early on Saturday.

A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office said the security officer reportedly fell against the train door during a physical altercation with a 36-year-old passenger who was believed to have been intoxicated, causing the door to tear from its hinges.

The regional train was travelling at around 120 kilometres per hour when the fall occurred, he added. He declined to comment on whether the 26-year-old guard was in a coma or responsive, citing privacy concerns.  

The railway security guards had already alerted police, who were scheduled to board the train at the next stop. However, the confrontation escalated before officers could intervene.

The suspect was arrested while still on board and is in police custody.

The critically injured guard was eventually found beside the tracks during a large-scale search, around two kilometres from where the train later stopped.

He was taken to a hospital for further treatment.

Police are interviewing witnesses and investigations are under way to determine whether there is any video footage of the events. The train has been impounded and is being examined.