Raz: No Premature Conclusions Should Be Drawn from Train Collision near Pezinok

Bratislava, 2 December (TASR) - No premature conclusions should be drawn during the investigation into the rail accident that occurred near Pezinok (Bratislava region) at the beginning of November, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) told a press conference on Tuesday when presenting a video showing the movement of the trains before the accident. According to him, the Transport Ministry will draw its conclusions after all witnesses to the accident have been interviewed. "Without us drawing or arriving at any premature conclusions, I'd like to ask the public to make space for the authorities responsible for the investigation, so that the investigation itself won't be accompanied, either intentionally or inadvertently, by unverified assumptions, unfounded claims and conclusions drawn from them," stressed Raz. As soon as the conclusions of the investigation are on paper, the ministry will immediately present them to the public, he added. Raz stressed that the ministry has carefully considered whether to publish the video, noting that it's aimed at allaying "fears that the railways are in a poor technical condition, and that the signalling devices are confusing or not visible enough". "I believe it's legitimate to ask questions about the causes of the accident because this doesn't mean that we have a clear picture of what happened," he stated. Two trains collided near Pezinok on 9 November. A REX 1814 train was hit by an Ex 620 train after departing from Pezinok station, reportedly due to one of the trains ignoring a red light. There were no fatalities, but dozens of passengers were injured. jrg/df