Studénka train disaster

Studénka train disaster was a rail accident that happened on August 8, 2008 at approximately 10.30 local time (8.30 GMT).The train EuroCity 108 Comenius was an express train en route from Kraków, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic that struck a part of a motorway bridge that had fallen onto the railroad track near Studénka railway station in the Czech Republic. The train derailed and at least seven people were killed while 64 others injured. [http://www.dicr.cz/srazka-vlaku-eurocity-comenius-se-spadlym-mostem-6-mrtvych-min-35-zranenych-skoda-na-zeleznici-121-mil-kc Rail Safety Inspection announcement] ]

The crash

The motorway bridge near the Studénka railroad station, was undergoing a repairs that were to last until September 2008.Fact|date=August 2008 On the 8th August the workers were putting a beam to span between the two supports on the sides of the railroad track. Parts of the beam fell onto the track when the train was 452 meters away, approaching the bridge at 133 kph (82,65 mph). The engineer on the locomotive noticed the iron bridge carcass swaying and immediately engaged the fast brake and escaped from the control cab to the engine room, which is much better protected against impact. This behavior was later recognized by the Czech Railways inspectors as exactly what engineers should do in this kind of situation. Also it was said that there is very high probability that this conduct saved his life. [cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Strojvůdce zatáhl za brzdu a zachránil se skokem do strojovny |url=http://ihned.cz/c4-10112050-26273110-000000_d-strojvudce-zatahl-za-brzdu-a-zachranil-se-skokem-do-strojovny |work=IHNed.cz |publisher=ECONOMIA a. s. |date=2008-08-08 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ] The train struck the obstacle within just a few seconds after the brake engagement when only able to slow down to 90 kph (app. 56 mph). The locomotive and four carriages derailed after the impact, the carriage coupled as first right after the locomotive sustained the most damage. [cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Studénka den poté: 33 lidí v nemocnicích, odklízení škod v plném proudu |url=http://domaci.ihned.cz/c1-26276680-odklizeni-trosek-ve-studence-probiha-zase-naplno |work=IHNed.cz |publisher=ECONOMIA a. s. |date=2008-08-09 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ] Six other carriages, among them restaurant carriage, remained on the track. Also three freight vans on an other track were derailed.At the moment of the accident, there were approx. 400 people on board the train, [cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Nehoda vlaku EC 108 ve Studénce: 7 mrtvých a 65 zraněných |url=http://www.zelpage.cz/zpravy/6435 |work=ŽelPage |publisher=ŽelPage, o.s. |date=2008-08-08 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ] 105 of them of Polish nationality. [cite news |author=Staff writer |title=PKP Intercity: pociągiem do Pragi jechało 105 Polaków |url=http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/1803902,11,1,1,,item.html |work=Onet.pl Wiadomości |publisher=Grupa Onet.pl SA |date=2008-08-08 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Polish ] There was also a group of people travelling to an Iron Maiden concert in Prague. [http://aktualne.centrum.cz/domaci/zivot-v-cesku/clanek.phtml?id=613154] [http://bleskove.aktualne.centrum.cz/cerna-kronika/nehody/clanek.phtml?id=613127] [Statement on Official Web of Iron Madein, dostupné: http://www.ironmaiden.com/index.php?categoryid=8&p2_articleid=989 (navštíveno 10. 8. 2008)]

Rescue operation

Since the accident happened during the day and there were people present in the proximity of the track, the rescue units were notified about the situation almost instantly. First rescue unit, which were firefighters stationed in Studenka arrived at the place only seven minutes after the alarm was issued. cite news |author=Petr Kůdela |title=OBRAZEM: náročný zásah hasičů u Studénky |url=http://www.katastrofy.com/scripts/index.php?id_nad=12489 |work=katastrofy.com |publisher=PETR NOVY |date=2008-08-10 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ] There were full 20 firefighter rescue units (altogether 100 firefighters and 40 firefighter engines) rescuing the passengers. Twenty ambulances together with helicopters transported the injured into all the nearest hospitals in Ostrava, Nový Jičín, Frýdek-Místek, Opava, Bílovec, Olomouc and Valašské Meziříčí. Thanks to cooperation within the so-called Integrated rescue system (Integrovaný záchranný systém) were all the injured in the hospitals within two hours after the accident.Polish authorities offered help with the rescue operation immediately when noticed about the disaster but it was not accepted as not necessary in the circumstances. cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Polka zginęła w katastrofie pociągu EuroCity |url=http://katowice.naszemiasto.pl/wydarzenia/884744.html?ses_nm=22691da213166033798135be4ca4e763 |work=katowice.naszemiasto.pl |publisher=POLSKAPRESSE spółka z o.o. |date=2008-08-09 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Polish]

Criticism

Immediately after the accident there was a great public roar for finding the culprits. First, the accused was the Czech Railways company for letting trains travel at relatively high speeds in the construction area. Nevertheless, the Czech Railways spokesman stated that the building company did not notify the Czech Railways about the ongoing reconstruction of the bridge.The building company ("Dopravní stavby Ostrava") was also accused of being responsible for the tragedy. The spokesman for the company presented an announcement in which the company states that the causes of the falling of the bridge parts onto the track are being investigated and that all the compulsory notifications to the Czech Railways about the reconstruction of the bridge were definitely issued. [ cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Společnost ODS - Dopravní stavby Ostrava se vyjadřuje k nehodě |url=http://moravskoslezsky.denik.cz/nehody/20080808_studenka_nehoda_ods_prohlaseni.html |work=Moravskoslezský deník |publisher=VLTAVA-LABE-PRESS, a.s. |date=2008-08-08 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ]

Aftermath

As for the casualties, two Czech men, three Czech women and a Polish woman were killed in the crash, while the seventh victim, a young Ukrainian man, died later in a hospital. [ cite news |author=Staff writer |title=Poslední oběť identifikovali krátce po půlnoci |url=http://moravskoslezsky.denik.cz/nehody/20080810_obet_nehoda_studenka_policie.html |work=Moravskoslezský deník |publisher=VLTAVA-LABE-PRESS, a.s. |date=2008-08-10 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ] Eight victim, a 21 years old Polish woman, died two months after the disaster. [cite web|url=http://zpravy.idnes.cz/srazka-ve-studence-ma-osmou-obet-v-polsku-zemrela-zranena-zena-pbr-/domaci.asp?c=A080930_165006_domaci_dp|title=Eight victim of train disaster|language=Czech|publisher=MF Dnes|accessdate=2008-09-30]

The cost of the damage was estimated at 136 million CZK (5.6 million Euros, 8.4 million US dollars), according to the Czech Railways Rail Safety Inspection announcement.The Czech Railways company promised to pay compensation to everyone injured as well as to families of the dead. Amount of money paid would then vary depending on individual circumstances of every case. [ cite news |author=Staff writer |title=České dráhy slibují vyplatit rodinám obětí ze Studénky statisíce korun |url=http://www.novinky.cz/clanek/146913-ceske-drahy-slibuji-vyplatit-rodinam-obeti-ze-studenky-statisice-korun.html |work=Novinky.cz |publisher=Borgis a.s. |date=2008-08-10 |accessdate=2008-08-10 |language=Czech ]

References

External links

* http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7549083.stm
* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7549431.stm
* http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/08/europe/OUKWD-UK-CZECH-TRAIN-CRASH.php