TL;DR
- Two passenger trains collided near Ceske Budejovice, injuring 57 people, with at least five reported as seriously injured.
- Preliminary investigations suggest one train may have passed a stop signal; traffic on the affected route has been temporarily halted.
- All passengers were evacuated safely, and emergency services responded promptly to the scene.
Two passenger trains collide in the Czech Republic, injuring 57
Two passenger trains have collided in the Czech Republic, leaving 57 people injured, at least two seriously.
The accident happened at around 6.20am near the city of Ceske Budejovice in the south of the country.
One of the trains was an express service.
Fire rescue services said the crash took place in a region around 74 miles south of Prague and that all passengers were evacuated from the two trains.
While the regional rescue service said two people had serious injuries, a hospital in Ceske Budejovice later said five people it admitted were seriously injured.
Transport Minister Martin Kupka said on X that while the crash was still under investigation, preliminary information showed one of the trains likely passed a signal that was in the stop position.
Traffic between Ceske Budejovice and the city of Plzen has been halted and is not expected to resume until the afternoon.