Eighteen persons were injured when a drill involving a simulated bomb attack on a German train went awry Saturday, turning the scenario into a real-life situation for rescue workers. The train was filled with about 115 persons made up to appear to have various wounds and injuries. The drill scenario was for two bombs to go off on the train as it approached the train station, sending rescue teams into action. But the two "bombs" - fireworks specially prepared by pyrotechnical experts - turned out to be more powerful than planned, officials said. "You could hear the detonations from far away, and see spurts of flame shooting up," a spokesman for the German border protection authority said. Luggage and interior decorations in some of the train cars caught fire, with 18 of the persons on board suffering from smoke inhalation poisoning. Some 600 police, fire department, border protection and other auxiliary group rescue workers had to spring into action to bring the other persons on the train to safety and extinguish the fire. Some of the actors did not realize the seriousness of the situation, thinking it was all part of the drill.
