Prague-Budapest train crashes with bus, killing seven and injuring multiple

Seven people have been killed and several more were injured when an express train from Prague to Budapest collided with a bus in southern Slovakia late Thursday afternoon. The accident occurred at a level crossing near the town of Nové Zámky – no passengers on the train were injured. The cause of the collision, in which the bus was torn in two, is currently under investigation. The locomotive of the train belonged to national railway carrier Czech Railways.

According to Dominik Drevický, spokesman for Slovakia's national train operator ZSSK, there were more than 100 passengers on the train, which was traveling on an international rail corridor when the collision took place. The Czech Republic's Foreign Ministry has stated that there is currently no information on whether Czech citizens were among the victims.

According to Vladimira Bahylova, a spokesperson for the authority managing the Slovak railway network, the accident occurred at a level crossing with barriers and traffic lights. The bus, operated by the Arriva company, was severely damaged and torn apart by the impact, and the locomotive caught fire. According to unverified information, the collision was caused by a malfunctioning sound and light signaling system on the crossing.

Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj-Eštok, who visited the scene of the collision, reported that two people from the bus were seriously injured and are currently in critical condition. The identities of all the deceased have not yet been established. 

The injured were taken to hospitals in Levice, Galanta, Komarno, Nitra, and Bratislava by paramedics. The hospital in Nove Zamky, which is just a few kilometers away from where the collision occurred, is not currently operational due to severe storms that hit the area on Wednesday.

According to Czech Railways, train services in the area – including in the Prague-Budapest corridor – have been suspended due to the accident. Alternative bus services have been arranged for passengers traveling on this route.

This is the second accident involving Czech rail that has involved fatalities in a short space of time. A collision between a passenger RegioJet and freight train on June 5 killed four people and injured over 30 in the Pardubice region.