| Fiesch derailment | |
| Date: | 23 July 2010 |
| Location: | Fiesch |
| Country: | Switzerland |
| Operator: | Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn |
| Type: | derailment |
| Trains: | 1 |
| Deaths: | 1 |
| Injuries: | 40 |
The Fiesch derailment occurred on Friday 23 July 2010, at 11:50 CET[1] when a Glacier Express train, from Zermatt heading towards St. Moritz, derailed at low speed between the cities of Lax and Fiesch, Canton Valais, Switzerland.
Two rear panorama cars were overturned while a third car derailed but remained on the track.[2]
A 64-year-old Japanese woman was killed and 42 people were injured and taken to hospital. The day after the accident 17 persons (16 Japanese, 1 Spanish) were still in hospital care.[2]
The cause of the accident was blamed on human error in that the driver was going too fast.[3] Traffic resumed on Sunday 25 July after repair and the railway had been declared safe by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (operator of the Glacier Express).[4]
On 7 March 2011, it was announced that the driver of the train at the time of its crash had been convicted of homicide and negligence, and would face a fine of 15,000 Swiss francs.[5]
The Investigation Bureau for Railway, Funicular and Boat Accidents investigated the accident.