Two high-speed trains collided head-on in eastern Slovakia on Monday, injuring more than 130 passengers. The crash happened just after 10 a.m. local time, or 0800 GMT, near the village of Rožňava. The unfortunate collision, confirmed by Slovak Railways, has sent shockwaves through the local community and raised serious concerns about rail safety.
According to public reports, there were as many as 80 passengers on the two trains involved in this County Cork collision. The crash left two people critically injured and dozens more injured in multiple other ways. First responders raced to the scene to rescue the injured. They started the long process of evaluating what had happened.
Photos from the wreck illustrate crushed and torn metal of the leading edge of one of the drivers’ engine. You can really see the effect of the crash here. To make matters worse, one of the trains had completely derailed in the wreck, undermining immediate rescue operations. This incident raised horrendous questions over the structural integrity of the rail system in the area.
Federal authorities are still investigating the cause of the collision. Slovak police are in close cooperation with the experts from rail safety, working to find out what caused this tragic incident. Eyewitnesses are saying that both trains were going too fast and that’s what caused the collision on Friday. Investigators are continuing to scope out additional information about the incident.
Include those concerns that local officials have raised with regard to safety protocols with very fast trains as proposed in Slovakia. They further argue that incidents such as these can cost severely public trust in rail travel. The city of Bratislava, as the capital, may face increased scrutiny regarding its oversight of railway operations as details emerge.
