Dozens injured as 2 trains collide in Czech Republic

Dozens people have been injured, some seriously, after two express trains collided near a town in the southwest of the Czech Republic, local media said.

The incident took place at a railway station near the town of Horažďovice. An express train heading from České Budějovice to Nepomuk had two of its cars derailed, Czech Railways spokesman Peter Stahlavsky told local CT24 news.

The carriages toppled on the rails and collided with another express train moving in the opposite direction. A total of 200 people were on board the two trains.

According to Stahlavsky, "there could be 30 to 40 injured people.”

Emergency services spokeswoman Lenka Ptackova told Czech media that 50 people were injured in the collision.

"At the scene we treated seven moderately to severely injured, who were taken to hospitals, as well as eight other people with light injuries,” she said, adding that another 35 people received bruises and minor injuries and were treated on site.

At least seven ambulances and three helicopters were deployed at the scene of the incident, Ptackova added.

The cause of the train derailment is currently under investigation.