Thirty-five individuals were injured, the majority with minor wounds, when two passenger trains collided in Prague on Wednesday morning, according to reports from emergency services and Czech railway authorities.
“One of the trains ran a red light and crashed into a stationary train from behind,” stated Dusan Gavenda, spokesperson for the railway infrastructure company Správa železnic.
Prague emergency services reported treating a total of 35 passengers. “The injuries ranged from mild to moderate, but fortunately, no lives are in danger,” clarified Jana Postová, spokesperson for the Prague rescue services. “We observed various bruises and scrapes, along with several fractures, including a fractured jaw.”
Firefighters announced via the social media platform X that approximately 200 people had been evacuated from the scene.
According to police, one of the drivers tested positive for alcohol and will undergo further blood testing.
Czech Railways, the national railway operator, confirmed that the driver tested positive but insisted that he likely did not cause the accident. “Based on the information available, our train driver is not responsible for this incident,” Czech Railways stated on X, adding that the driver would be dismissed if the blood test confirms intoxication.
The other train involved in the collision was operated by KZC, as reported by the Czech news agency ČTK.
Train accidents are not uncommon in the Czech Republic, an EU member state with a population of 10.9 million. In June, four people lost their lives and over 20 were injured when an express train collided head-on with a freight train in the city of Pardubice in the central region.
