Three dead, dozens injured in Czech passenger train crash

At least three people have died and more than 40 others suffered injuries when a high-speed train travelling from Munich, Germany, to Prague collided with a commuter passenger train in the Czech Republic, according to local authorities.

Police said the victims of Wednesday’s crash, which happened shortly after 8am local time (06:00 GMT), were the drivers of both trains and a female passenger.

Four people who were seriously injured during the incident in the town of Milavce, 140km (87 miles) southwest of Prague, were flown to hospital by helicopter. Seven others required surgery.

Another 31 suffered minor injuries, according to the regional rescue service. Four helicopters were transporting the injured to nearby hospitals.

Commander Jaroslav Hrdlicka of the regional fire department told Czech Television that rescue workers were still looking for one missing person in the wreckage.

Czech Transport Minister Karel Havlicek tweeted that human error likely caused the crash. He claimed the driver of the high-speed train “went through a signal indicating Stop”.

“The situation is serious,” Havlicek said, who was making his way to the scene of the crash.

TV footage on Czech Television showed the smashed driver’s cabin of the fast train’s locomotive, as well as the front part of the local train.

Both trains remained upright on or near the tracks.