Overview

• A train attendant alerted police at 19:25 after passengers on ICE 72 from Basel to Hamburg reported a pungent smell and breathing difficulties.
• The train made an unscheduled stop at Bad Bevensen at 19:38, where state and federal police, firefighters, emergency medical services, an emergency physician and a Deutsche Bahn emergency manager responded.
• Fire crews conducted measurements after the odor had dissipated to identify the irritant, which has not yet been publicly determined.
• Thirty-nine passengers were treated on site for respiratory irritation, and none required hospital admission.
• The affected carriage was sealed and the train continued its journey about an hour later, as federal police opened an investigation and appealed for witnesses.