Three people were killed and dozens more injured on Wednesday in the collision between two trains in the village of Milavce, in the western Czech Republic, the company responsible for the national rail network said.

The collision, which occurred at around 8 a.m. local time, occurred between a train of the German company Die Länderbahn GmbH which linked Munich (Germany) to Prague and a regional train connecting the Czech cities of Plzen and Domazlice.

“Unfortunately, according to current information, a rail collision (…) left three dead and dozens injured,” the company responsible for the Czech rail network, Sprava zeleznic, said in a tweet.

According to the Czech rescue services, the drivers of the two trains, both of Czech nationality, and a female passenger of the regional train were killed in the accident.

Střet vlaků u Milavče na Domažlicku má podle aktuálních informací bohužel za následek úmrtí tří lidí a desítky zraněných.

Všichni cestující jsou z vlaků evakuováni.

Po došetření nehody Drážní inspekcí začnou odklízecí práce.

Obnovení provozu předpokládáme nejdříve zítra ráno.

pic.twitter.com/7IqcGgKVvZ

- Správa železnic (@Spravazeleznic) August 4, 2021

Part of the German train locomotive completely destroyed

According to the Czech rail network, all passengers were evacuated from the trains. “After the investigation of the accident by the Railways Inspectorate, the clearing work will begin. We plan to resume operations tomorrow morning at the earliest, ”he said. “At this stage, we confirm that the train accident left three people dead. We are no longer looking for passengers, ”the Czech police said.

Earlier, emergency services said 31 people were being treated but their lives were not in danger, and seven people were in critical condition.

According to media reports, among the injured are foreigners traveling on the German train.

According to images broadcast by Czech TV CT24, part of the locomotive of the German train was completely destroyed.

"The situation is serious"

In a statement, the German company said that train traffic on the Czech side "was carried out under the responsibility" of the Czech Railways (CD). Czech Transport Minister Karel Havlicek said the German train "did not respect the signal and collided with the regional train". "The situation is serious," he added, shortly before going to the scene.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis sent condolences to the families of the deceased. Four helicopters, as well as several ambulances, and dozens of rescuers were dispatched to the scene. “The German Red Cross, the Bavarian ambulance service and doctors from (the city of) Cham are also at the scene of the train accident. The German police also offered to help, ”the Czech police said in a tweet.

According to the CTK agency, the most serious accident on present-day Czech territory took place in 1960, when the country was part of Czechoslovakia.

A train collision near the town of Pardoubice (center) left 118 dead and 100 injured.

In July 2020, three people were killed and dozens more injured in two train accidents in the Czech Republic.

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