47 injured in train crash in South Bohemia
An express train collided with a local passenger train in the České Budějovice region early on Thursday morning injuring 47 people. Fire crews and rescue teams are at the site of the accident. The cause of the collision is not yet clear.
The accident happened shortly after 6pm when an express train going from České Budějovice to Plzeň collided with a local passenger train on the line between Zliv and Dívčice.
Passengers on the train later reported experiencing a sudden jolt and crash that sent objects flying through the air and shattered windows. After a moment of silence the air was filled with the cries of injured passengers.
Emergency crews from medical facilities in the area were on the spot within minutes, conducting triage. Five people who were seriously injured were airlifted to the hospital in České Budějovice, others were taken to medical facilities in Písek, Strakonice and Prachatice. Many were treated on the spot.
According to the latest reports 47 people were injured altogether, 5 sustained serious injuries. One of the drivers had to be freed from his cabin which was crushed by the impact.
The cause of the accident is being investigated by railway-inspection authorities.
The trains collided head-on. According to unofficial information cited by the regional governor, Martin Kuba, one of the trains may have passed a stop signal, but he stressed that only a thorough investigation will provide answers.
The head of the Railway Inspection, Jan Kučera, told Czech Television he would not speculate and that the investigation must run its course.
What has been confirmed by the rail authorities is that the line where the collision occurred is not equipped with the ETCS safety system. Police said breath tests ruled out alcohol in both drivers.
South Bohemian firefighters have set up an information hotline for people seeking details about passengers on the trains ( 950 230 835 ) and the police launched a crisis line (974 222 158) for psychological support and information for families and relatives.
Traffic on the line was halted immediately and Czech Railways has deployed replacement buses for individual connections. It is not clear when traffic on the line will be restored.
Given the number of injured, Thursday’s crash is one of the most serious in the past five years.
Last June, four people were killed and over 20 injured in a head-on collision between two trains in a station in Pardubice. The accident occurred because one of the train drivers failed to respect a stop signal.
