As police spokesman Robert Scholten said on inquiry, the man apparently tried to cross the tracks at a pedestrian crossing before the train had even entered. The man, who came from the direction of Von-Sandt-Straße, was seriously injured, but doctors described his state of health as stable, according to police.

According to Frank Frenser of the Bonn fire department, which was on site with 35 firemen, the legs of the 26-year-old man were trapped under the first car of the tram. He was responsive the entire time, but had to be freed by the fire department. To do this, the firemen used two hydraulic jacks to lift the tram. Approximately 25 minutes after the alarm, the man was freed this way and then driven to a hospital. The driver of the tram suffered a shock and was also treated on site. The train passengers suffered no injuries.

Due to the operation, the trams of lines 62 and 66 did not run to Konrad-Adenauer-Platz during the entire operation, as the Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB) had cut the power of the overhead lines at the stop because of the accident. The lines were therefore completely separated for the time of the rescue operation, as SWB spokesman Michael Henseler explained. Since 17.45 hrs, the trams have been running on the scheduled route again. However, there will still be major delays for a while, the SWB continued.

Patience was required from the users of the light rail system, as the SWB said that they could not set up a replacement service because the buses could not pass Konrad-Adenauer-Platz at first. "The lines take a big detour and pass the Rhine via the Nordbrücke", said Henseler at the time of the operation. Around 4.20 pm the buses could once again serve the bus stop at Konrad-Adenauer-Platz and cross the Kennedy Bridge.

The police have started investigations into the exact course of events of the accident. Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to report to the officers by calling 0228/150.

Original text: Laszlo Scheuch and Benjamin Westhoff

Translation: Mareike Graepel