At least four were killed and more than 27 injured after a passenger train collided with a freight train in the Czech city of Pardubice on Wednesday (June 5) evening, the regional governor said. Rescue services were on the scene, the police said, and police were evacuating passengers. The crash occurred in Pardubice, part of the country's main rail corridor from Prague to the east. The passenger train was operated by rail company RegioJet, Martin Netolicky, governor of the Pardubice region, said on Facebook.
VIDEO: Aftermath of Czech Republic train accident
"A head-on collision between a RegioJet train and a freight train claimed several lives and left dozens injured," he said. Footage after the crash on news website idnes.cz showed at least one carriage off the track, while police showed on their X social media account a line of emergency service vehicles and a helicopter.
A spokesperson for the Railway Administration's firefighters told Czech TV several were seriously injured. The country's interior and transport ministers said they were headed to the accident scene, while Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressed his condolences to the victims on X.
More than 380 passeners were on board
Rescuers said 380 passengers were on board the train heading for the city of Kosice in eastern Slovakia and further to Chop across the border in Ukraine. At least two Ukrainian women died in the crash, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “An official of the Consulate of Ukraine in (the Czech city of) Brno is at the scene and in constant contact with rescue and law enforcement agencies,” it said.
The drivers of both trains survived, the local CTK news agency said. Transport Minister Martin Kupka said the main track between Prague and the eastern part of the country had to be closed while authorities investigated the collision. It was only partially reopened nine hours later and the state-run train company, Czech Railways, advised that passengers should avoid using the route for the whole day. The corridor in Pardubice, where the trains collided, is vital for Czech Railways. It said the line will also likely be closed tomorrow.
“We can’t and won’t speculate about the cause of the accident,” Kupka said.
PM calls it "big tragedy"
Police said later they were investigating possible negligence. Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the crash a big tragedy and offered his condolences to the families of those killed. So did Radim Jančura, the owner of RegioJet, who said his company was ready to compensate the passengers.
(With inputs from agencies)
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