Multiple fatalities and several hurt in train accident in Czech Republic
Last night in Pardubice, Czech Republic, a passenger train crash occurred near the town's main station close to the nation's capital, Prague. The city is located approximately 100 kilometers from Prague. The train, operated by private railway company, Regiojet, brought over 300 passengers, including numerous foreigners, from Prague en route to western Ukraine's city of Chop near the Slovakian border.
In recordings captured by Czech television, at least one carriage could be seen derailing. Firefighter Pavel Ber shared with reporters that rescuing the injured was challenging because the first wagon was distorted, making access to the injured more difficult.
The freight train involved in the accident reportedly carried calcium carbide, an industrial product used to make acetylene, a hydrocarbon commonly employed as a welding fuel.
Minister of Interior Vit Rakusan, who reached the scene early Thursday morning, assured that most injuries sustained were minor. Passengers were moved to the railway station's building. Transport Minister Martin Kupka also visited the incident site and stated that investigations to identify the crash's cause are being conducted.
Prime Minister Fiala, via the online platform X (formerly Twitter), issued his sympathies, describing the incident as a "major disaster."
Notably, Pardubice experienced the most severe train accident in the history of the Czech Republic in 1960. Here, two passenger trains crossed each other head-on in the northern part of the city, resulting in the deaths of 118 people and injuries to around 100 more.
