- The exact cause of the train collision is currently under investigation.
- An early morning train collision in the České Budějovice district resulted in injuries.
- Czech President Petr Pavel called for investigation and prevention of train accidents.
According to Czech President Petr Pavl, it is necessary to ensure that similar accidents like the morning train collision in the South Bohemian Region do not happen again. He wrote this on Thursday on the X social network and appealed for the accident to be investigated as quickly and transparently as possible, reports TASR in Prague.
“It is with great concern that I follow the news about the serious collision between two trains in the České Budějovice district. I think of all the injured and their families and thank the members of the integrated rescue system who intervened on the spot. It is essential that the causes of the accident be investigated as quickly and transparently as possible. The safety of citizens must always come first and it is necessary to ensure that similar accidents do not happen again“, said the Czech president.
The resigned Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, wrote on the X network that he is in close contact with the ministers of transport and the interior after the accident. “Full deployment is underway at the site and care for the injured and support for passengers is being provided,” he added, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
The accident occurred after 6 a.m. on the railway line between the town of Zliv and the village of Dívčice in the district of České Budějovice. In the head-on collision between an express train and a passenger train, more than 40 people were injured, of which four were seriously injured, nine were moderately injured, and the rest were lightly injured. The seriously injured are hospitalized in a hospital in České Budějovice. According to station ČT24, one of them is in the ARO department and three in the intensive care unit.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, the track inspection is dealing with it. She stated that the track where the accident happened was not equipped with the ETCS security system. The case is also being investigated by the police, who have started operations on suspicion of committing a general threat. She breathalyzed both train drivers and ruled out the influence of alcohol.
