At least four people were killed and more than 20 injured in a train crash in the Czech Republic on Wednesday evening, officials said.
A passenger train carrying about 380 people collided with a freight train while traveling to Kosice, Slovakia, according to the National Fire and Rescue Service. The accident occurred in Pardubice, about 62 miles east of Prague, where the passenger train was traveling from.
The freight train was carrying calcium carbide, a corrosive, flammable compound used in steelmaking, among other things. The fire and rescue department said the accident did not cause a leak.
Photos from the scene showed parts of the train derailed, and emergency workers were seen helping passengers and their luggage off the train early Thursday morning. Video released by authoritiesUninjured passengers were taken to Pardubice station and the children were given stuffed animals.
Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka accompanied the Interior Minister to the crash site overnight and expressed his Mourning On social media.
Train timetables on the Pardubice line, one of the country’s main rail corridors, are expected to be disrupted until Thursday while authorities investigate the scene. Investigators have yet to come up with any theory as to the cause of the accident.
According to authorities, the operator of the passenger train involved in the accident was private rail and bus company RegioJet.
