Train collision - Train and freight train crash in the Czech Republic, claiming four lives.
A horrific train crash between a fully packed passenger train and a freight train in Pardubice, Czech Republic has led to the loss of several lives. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan confirmed four deaths and 23 injuries after the accident that happened late on a Thursday evening. Out of the injured, 20 suffered light injuries and three had moderate injuries. The Interior Minister stated that a comparison of the passenger lists was ongoing.
Numerous emergency services, including firefighters, paramedics, doctors, and even two rescue helicopters rushed to the site which is around 100 kilometers east of Prague. The locomotives of both trains had collided for an unknown reason. At first, it was unclear if the freight train was stationary or moving when the accident happened. In the photos, it was evident that one of the passenger train's carriages, located right behind the locomotive, was derailed and severely affected.
The locomotive driver might be responsible for the train accident
The night express train of the private railway company Regiojet was en route from Prague to Kosice in Slovakia, having travelled for an hour when the accident took place. There were over 300 passengers on board, the fire department revealed. Many Ukrainians depend on this route to reach their homeland via Slovakia. The unharmed passengers were moved to temporary shelters by buses.
Alongside Interior Minister Rakusan, Transport Minister Martin Kupka also arrived at the scene. Kupka shared that it was too early to determine the cause of the crash. Investigations were underway.
According to media reports, the locomotive driver of the express train may have disregarded a stop signal or a switch might have been incorrectly set. "I thought the train was going to the wrong track, even though a green signal was lit," recalled an eyewitness to the newspaper "Pravo." "Suddenly there was a bang, and the train stopped." A passenger from the train, who remained unscathed, said later: "I felt a collision and heard glass shattering - then there was crying."
The freight train might have been loaded with corrosive chemicals
The collision of the two trains was heard from a distance. "The crash woke us up, my wife thought a house had collapsed in the neighborhood," expressed a resident to the news portal "iDnes.cz." The freight train had reportedly transported the corrosive chemical, calcium carbide, but the first two wagons were empty for safety reasons. The accident happened at the brand new Pardubice-Centrum station, which had just been completed in May.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala showed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased via the online platform X. "The crash of the two trains in Pardubice is a major accident," wrote the Prime Minister. "We are all thinking of the victims and injured."
In the Czech Republic, there are many significant rail accidents. A similar incident occurred in August 2021, when an express train crashed head-on with a passenger train on the single-track line between Pilsen (Plzen) and Furth im Wald - three people died, including the two locomotive drivers. Another accident happened in July 2020, resulting in two fatalities with a frontal collision of two trains on the line from Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) to Johanngeorgenstadt.
The railway infrastructure in the EU member state is deemed outdated by experts. The government plans to implement the modern European train safety system - ETCS - on the entire network by 2025. It is presently accessible on around 1100 kilometers of track, but only approximately 700 vehicles can use it as a conversion is necessary.
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- The fire department was also called to the scene due to the potential presence of corrosive chemicals in the freight train, as reported by some media outlets.
- The engine driver of the passenger train, operating the night express train of the private railway company Regiojet, is currently under investigation for disregarding a stop signal or an incorrectly set switch, according to eyewitness accounts.
- In light of the recent train collision, the Czech Republic's government has reaffirmed its commitment to implement the European Train Safety System (ETCS) on its entire railway network by 2025, hoping to improve safety and prevent future misfortunes.
- Prior to the accident, the freight train had traveled through the Czech Republic without incident, transporting various goods, and had even stopped at the Pardubice-Centrum station, located just east of Prague, to pick up or drop off cargo.
- The Czech Republic's Transport Minister, Martin Kupka, emphasized the importance of continuing the ongoing investigation to thoroughly understand the root cause of the collision and ensure improvements in rail safety measures to prevent such misfortunes from reoccurring.
