Three killed, dozens hurt in Czech train crash

Three people died and dozens more were injured yesterday when two trains collided at a village in the west of the Czech Republic, according to railway officials.

"Unfortunately, according to latest information, a train collision ... has killed three and left dozens of people injured," national rail operator Sprava zeleznic said on Twitter.

"All the passengers have been evacuated from the trains," the firm added.

National police said all passengers were accounted for, adding that the accident happened shortly after 8am at Milavce.

"At the moment, 31 people whose lives are not in danger are being treated, 7 are in a critical state and 2 are dead," a spokeswoman for Plzen region rescue teams, Maria Svobodova told iRozhlas.cz.

The Munich-to-Prague train, Ex 351, belonging to the German firm Die Laenderbahn, collided with a regional service between the Czech towns of Plzen and Domazlice.

Several foreigners were traveling aboard the German train, some of whom were hurt, local media reported.

According to footage shown on Czech public television, one part of the German train was completely mangled, though both vehicles remained upright.

Die Laenderbahn said that "the running of the train on the Czech side is the responsibility of the CD," the Ceske Drahy rail company.

Czech Transport Minister Karel Havlicek said "the Ex 351 did not respect a signal ... and crashed into the regional train."