Two Passenger Trains Collide in Roznava District, Injuries Reported

Jablonov nad Turnou, 13 October (TASR) - Two passenger trains have collided in the area of the village of Jablonov nad Turnou in the district of Roznava (Kosice region), with more than 20 people injured according to initial reports, spokesperson for the regional Kosice Firefighter and Emergency Corps Directorate Jozef Balint told TASR on Monday, adding that firefighters from several fire stations are responding at the scene. The Emergency Medical Services Operations Centre announced on social media that five ambulances and a rescue helicopter were heading to the site. According to the police, the two express trains, which were travelling in opposite directions, were carrying a large number of passengers. "All units of the integrated rescue system are at the scene. Passengers are gradually leaving the train carriages, and the extent of the injuries is not yet known. The police are sealing off the site, coordinating the work of rescue teams and directing the movement of people in the area," the Kosice Region Police Directorate has reported on social media. The collision occurred shortly after 10 a.m. at a point where tracks intersect and merge into a single track. "The cause of the collision is under investigation. Our priority right now is to rescue and evacuate passengers and our employees. Information will be updated on an ongoing basis," said Jan Bacek, spokesperson for state-run passenger carrier ZSSK, adding that replacement buses have been arranged along the route. Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) is on his way to the site. jrg/df