Dozens injured as 2 trains collide in village of Milavče in western Czech Republic

Shortly after 8am (6am GMT) two trains collided in the village of Milavče, near Domazlice in Czechia’s west, the country’s police force said on Twitter. 

“Unfortunately, at this moment we have confirmed that two people lost their lives at the scene of the railway accident,” the police said in a tweet.

The Czech fire brigade told local media that as many as 50 people are injured. “We have the site of the intervention divided into two sections. We have transported some people from the train. There are several dozen injured on the spot,” said a spokesman for the regional fire brigade.

“Thirty-one are wounded but only have minor injuries. Four people were transported to the trauma center, two unfortunately died,” said Mária Svobodová spokeswoman for the rescue teams.

Jaroslav Hrdlička, the commanding officer of the fire brigade, told Czech television that the trains had collided head on and that the rescue operations were being carried out using simple procedures. “We did not have to use a hydraulic rescue device. We are now trying to secure access to the demolished cabin of the train,” he said, adding that they are looking for one missing person.

In a tweet, transport minister Karel Havlíček described the situation as “serious” and said he was cancelling his schedule and making his way to the scene of the crash. He confirmed that one of the trains involved was carrying passengers.

Havlíček suggested that the driver of Ex 351 train had passed a red light. The Ex 351 was traveling from Munich to Prague while the regional train was traveling from Pilsen to Domazlice, according to information shared online.

Six years ago to the day, two express trains crashed in west Bohemia, Czechia, in which 30 people were injured.

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