A train conductor has been beaten to death by a migrant fare dodger in Germany.
The fare dodger – a 26-year-old Greek man – attacked the 36-year-old Deutsche Bahn employee on Tuesday evening.
The conductor was doing a ticket check on a train near Kaiserslautern when a the man, with no known place of residence, began to beat him, according to eyewitnesses.
The conductor, named locally as Serkan C, was attended to by several passengers who saw the attack take place.
First aid was attempted by onlookers as the police were called, and Serkan was rushed to hospital, where he died on Wednesday.
Deutsche Bahn then held a minute’s silence that afternoon for the conductor, who is believed to have left behind a child and wife.
The moment of silence was attended by German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder.
He said: “It is terrible that a customer advisor has lost his life in the normal course of his work – killed by brute and senseless violence.”
PICTURED: German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder leads a minute’s silence at Berlin’s main train station
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REUTERS
Witnesses told Germany’s Bild newspaper Serkan had been checking the tickets of a group of four people ranging between 20 and 30 years old before the attack.
This group of people included the alleged perpetrator, which led to an argument between the two men after he failed to produce a ticket.
He allegedly stood up and raised his fist.
Serkan then attempted to calm the situation, but when he ordered the man to exit the train, the attack began.
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Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla made a statement on the attack
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REUTERS
Witnesses told Bild that the victim was punched several times in the head, and police are continuing their investigation into the motive behind the attack.
Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla issued a statement condemning the attack.
She said: “This tragic death is incomprehensible and saddening to me. My deepest condolences go out to the family of Serkan C., his friends, and colleagues.
“All of us at Deutsche Bahn condemn in the strongest possible terms this horrific act of violence and the completely senseless death of our colleague.
“We must all ask ourselves why such outbreaks of violence keep happening. We—politicians, society—must provide answers.
“Today is a dark day for all railway workers in the country. We at Deutsche Bahn are in mourning.”
It comes a week after an 18-year-old woman from Iran died in Hamburg after being dragged in front of an incoming train by a 25-year-old man from South Sudan.
Both people died in the incident.
According to local media, he had already been arrested two days earlier relating to an incident in a brothel.
He was released after charge before the incident with the 18-year-old woman.
