Train collides with bus: Seven dead in Slovakia

Misfortune - Train collides with bus: Seven dead in Slovakia

The number of fatalities after the collision of a train with a bus in Slovakia has risen to seven. Five more were injured. This was reported by the public-service broadcaster RTVS, citing the state rescue service. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok confirmed that all the dead were passengers in the bus. Not all of them have been identified yet. Among the injured was reportedly the locomotive driver, while all others were bus passengers. They had to be taken to hospitals in Bratislava and other distant facilities, as the nearest district hospital in Nove Zamky was closed due to flooding.

According to the news agency TASR, citing police and the state railway company ZSSK, there were over 100 passengers in the Eurocity train heading from Prague to Budapest, which collided near the city of Nove Zamky with a bus. The bus was reportedly torn apart in the collision. The locomotive of the train began to burn.

There were reports in the media that the signaling system at the railway crossing could have been damaged due to the persistent flooding since Wednesday evening. However, there was no official confirmation of this yet.

The Interior Minister confirmed that all the dead were bus passengers. Not all of them have been identified yet. Among the injured was the locomotive driver, while all others were bus passengers. They had to be taken to hospitals in Bratislava and other distant facilities, as the nearest district hospital in Nove Zamky was closed due to flooding.

1. The bus involved in the fatal collision in Slovakia was initially bound for Budapest, but its route was diverted due to road closures caused by the recent flooding.
2. Witnesses at the scene of the collision described the bus as completely obliterated, while the express train sustained significant damage to its front end.
3. Emergency services from both Slovakia and neighboring Hungary were dispatched to the site to assist in holding up traffic and redirecting it away from the accident area.
4. The collision prompted an immediate investigation into the cause of the accident, with focus on possible malfunctions in the train's braking system or signaling system.
5. The harrowing incident was broadcast on television stations across Europe, causing shock and disbelief among viewers.
6. The conductor of the express train, who was traveling in the cab, was among the injured, while the bus driver is still unaccounted for.
7. The railroad company promised to upgrade the safety measures at the collision site and other points along the route, in a bid to prevent similar misfortunes from occurring again.

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