Twenty-five people were injured, seven seriously, when a driving-school tram stopped suddenly and was rear-ended by a following tram near the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday. Police revised down an initial count of 30 casualties, with three victims reported in critical condition.
Emergency crews, reinforced by units from Essen and Recklinghausen, responded to the midday crash on Kurt-Schumacher-Straße. The road remained closed for hours, though one lane toward Gelsenkirchen-Buer reopened around 16:00.
Tram services in the area were suspended in both directions while investigators examined the circumstances of the collision.