Several dead in Czech train accident, dozens injured – DW – 06.06.2024

Four people died and more than two dozen were injured when a passenger train collided with a freight train in the Czech city of Pardubice late Wednesday, the regional governor said.

“A head-on collision between a RegioJet train and a freight train claimed several lives and left dozens injured,” wrote Martin Netolicky, governor of the Pardubice region, on Facebook.

Firefighters, paramedics and doctors as well as at least one rescue helicopter were deployed to the scene of the accident about 100 kilometers east of the capital Prague.

According to Interior Minister Vit Rakusan, around 23 people were injured in the clash.

He said 20 people suffered minor injuries and three moderate injuries.

The drivers of both trains survived, the Czech news agency CTK reported.

The country’s interior and transport ministers said they were on their way to the scene of the accident, while Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressed his “sincere condolences to all the bereaved” in a post on social media platform X.

300 passengers on board, wagon derailed

The express train, operated by RegioJet, traveled overnight from Prague to Košice in eastern Slovakia, the railway administration said.

The accident occurred shortly before 11 p.m. (21:00 GMT) near the main train station in Pardubice, Czech television reported.

According to the fire department, there were over 300 passengers on board.

A large number of the passengers were foreigners, Czech television reported.

Many Ukrainians use the line on their way to the city of Chop in the southwestern Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, which borders Slovakia.

Media footage showed that at least one carriage had derailed from the tracks after the accident. Passengers were being escorted onto buses near Pardubice’s main train station.

Transport Minister Martin Kupka said a key route between Prague and the east of the country would have to be closed while authorities investigated the collision.

Kupka said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the collision because the investigation was still ongoing.

To improve safety, the Czech government plans to introduce the European Train Control System (ETCS) across the entire rail network.

dvv, sdi/jsi, ab (dpa, AFP, Reuters; AP)