TWO high-speed commuter trains slammed head-on in Slovakia in a devastating crash that sent wreckage flying off the tracks.
At least 20 people have been injured, with two of them in critical condition.
Two high-speed commuter trains collided head-on in Slovakia
Dramatic pictures from the scene show the destroyed locomotives
Emergency services were at the scene to help rescue the passengers
The collision happened on Monday shortly after 10am local time near the village of Jablonov nad Turnou, in eastern Slovakia.
Around 80 passengers were onboard the two trains when they collided in front of a tunnel, police said.
Shocking police footage posted on Facebook showed twisted metal and mangled carriages strewn across a hillside.
One locomotive and a carriage were derailed completely, while paramedics rushed to treat the injured where they lay.
Slovakia’s rescue service scrambled two helicopters and several ambulances to the scene, while hospitals in the area activated trauma plans to handle the influx of casualties.
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok confirmed that “two of the injured were in critical condition while the other injuries were not serious.”
Slovak Railways said the crash happened at a point where two tracks merge into a single line.
“At this moment, the priority is the rescue and evacuation of our passengers and employees,” the company said in a statement.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the disaster.
Šutaj Eštok suggested that human error might be to blame for the catastrophic collision.
The impact left the front of one engine crushed and the other train derailed.
Earlier in August, one person was killed and 16 others injured after a passenger train smashed into a lorry at a level crossing and derailed in southern Denmark.
The crash sent one carriage tearing off the train and toppling onto its side, according to local media.
Police said 95 people were on board when the Copenhagen-to-Sønderborg service struck the vehicle near Tinglev.
Of those, one passenger died and several were injured — with two airlifted from the scene.
The collision happened at a road crossing, national rail infrastructure authority Banedanmark said on X.
Local outlet Jydske Vestkysten reported that several passengers — including around 20 children — were escorted from the wreckage.
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The crash happened in the eastern village of Jablonov nad Turnou (stock image)Alamy Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
