Investigation and compensation in Friday's train crash

Investigations have been continuing into Friday’s tragic train accident near the city of Ostrava which caused seven deaths and dozens of injuries. Over the weekend, Czech Railways also announced a compensation plan for the relatives of the victims running into hundreds of thousands of crowns.

Photo: CTK

On Sunday, the final two victims of the Czech Republic’s worst train crash in 13 years were identified. Of a total of seven people killed in Friday’s crash near the city of Ostrava, seven were Czechs, while a Polish woman and Ukrainian man were also among the dead. According to the Czech authorities, local hospitals treated 67 people, including the Ukrainian victim, two Frenchmen, two Slovaks and thirteen Poles. The accident occurred when a Eurocity train travelling through the town of Studénka crashed into the debris of an overhead bridge which collapsed and fell onto the track. The driver, seeing the bridge, apparently slammed on the emergency brakes, but the speed of the train – estimated at 134 kph before the brakes were applied and 90 kph at the moment of impact – meant that a serious collision was inevitable. Nonetheless, experts have suggested that were it not for the actions of the driver, the accident could have been much worse.

Two days after the accident Czech Railways restored a limited service along the two tracks adjacent to the one on which the accident took place. They have also announced that the closest relative of each of the victims will receive 240,000 crowns in compensation, and those that were injured will also be eligible for compensation. Applications for compensation can be submitted from Monday, August 11th.

Photo: CTK

Petr Štáhlavský is a spokesperson for Czech Railways. I asked him to describe the reasoning behind the compensation:

“We currently don’t have any signals that Czech Railways bear responsibility for this accident. But of course, the investigation is ongoing and the police investigators will have the final word on that. The compensation we are paying out is based on our legal obligations – our passengers entered into a contract with us – this in no way related to an acceptance of blame or responsibility on our part.”

Photo: CTK

And what is the current situation at the site? Petr Štáhlavský again:

“At present, the remnants of the fallen bridge are being dismantled and removed. Also, the train tracks are being repaired and restored. If everything proceeds without serious complications, by Tuesday we will be able to restore at least a partial service to the line, which will mean that the high-speed Pendolino trains will be back in service.”

The investigation is centred on figuring out just why the overhead bridge collapsed onto the track. At present, multiple rumours have been circulating: possible negligence of the two construction companies working on the bridge; intoxicated workers etc – all of course, resolutely denied by those involved. In the next few days, a clearer picture of the hows and whys is certain to emerge.