Carrier ZSSK: Two Trains Carrying Total of 80 Passengers at Time of Crash

Jablonov nad Turnou, 13 October (TASR) - A total of up to 80 passengers and four employees of state-run passenger carrier ZSSK were on board the two trains that collided near the village of Jablonov nad Turnou in Roznava district (Kosice region) on Monday, ZSSK spokesperson Jan Bacek has told TASR, adding that one employee sustained more serious injuries and is being treated by paramedics, while the other three are unharmed. Rail services between Jablonov nad Turnou and Roznava remain suspended, according to Bacek. "Any information regarding the condition of the passengers and the extent of the injuries is provided by rescue teams and the police. Of our four colleagues who were on the trains, one suffered more serious injuries and is in the care of paramedics. The other three are fine and are cooperating in the evacuation effort and the provision of information," explained Bacek. "ZSSK is providing full assistance, while also providing care to its passengers and employees. We are constantly updating information as the situation develops," said Bacek, adding that the cause of the accident is under investigation and that ZSSK general director Peter Helexa is on his way to the scene. Replacement buses have been arranged for passengers on the Jablonov nad Turnou–Roznava route, and updated information can be obtained via the ZSSK Contact Centre by calling 18 188. The collision between the two express trains took place shortly after 10 a.m. near a tunnel in the vicinity of the village of Jablonov nad Turnou, at a point where tracks intersect and merge into a single track. Firefighters, police and paramedics are all on the scene, including with rescue helicopters. According to spokesperson for the Emergency Medical Services Operations Centre Petra Klimesova, nine people sustained moderate to serious injuries. jrg/df