Overview
- Police say the 17-year-old entered the track area around 3:10 a.m. on January 24 at Deutsche Oper to retrieve an item from beneath an idle U2 train and died at the scene after contacting the power rail.
- The item was reported by several outlets as an e-cigarette, though police did not consistently specify the object in later statements.
- BVG explained that Berlin’s U-Bahn uses a 750-volt DC power rail that can stay energized for operational systems, with the U2’s open-top Kleinprofil rail design posing particular contact risk.
- Investigators report no indication of third-party involvement, the local criminal police have taken over the case, and witnesses received psychological support from emergency services.
- U2 service was halted during the response and resumed around 4:15 a.m., and mourners have since placed flowers and photos at the station.