2008 Studénka train wreck

The 2008 Studénka train accident was a rail accident that happened on 8 August 2008 near Studénka, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic, at approximately 10:30 local time (8:30 UTC). The EuroCity train EC 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 eight people were killed with 64 others injured.[1]

Studénka train accident
Details
Date8 August 2008
10:30 (8:30 UTC)
LocationStudénka
Coordinates49.7049°N 18.0511°E / 49.7049; 18.0511
CountryCzech Republic
LineČeská Třebová – Bohumín (line nr. 270)
OperatorCzech Railways
Incident typeCrash into a collapsed bridge
Statistics
TrainsEC 108 Comenius (Kraków – Prague)
Passengersapprox. 400
Deaths8
Injuries64
Damage136 million CZK
Accident location in the Czech Republic

The crash

The motorway bridge near Studénka railroad station was undergoing repairs that were to last until September 2008. On 8 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 metres (1,483 ft) away, approaching the bridge at around 135 km/h (84 mph).[1] The driver noticed the iron bridge structure swaying and immediately engaged the emergency brake and escaped from the control cab to the engine room, which is much better protected against impact.[1] This behaviour was later recognized by the Czech Railways inspectors as exactly what drivers should do in this kind of situation. It was said that there is a very high probability that this conduct saved his life.[2]

The train struck the obstacle within just a few seconds, by which time the train had slowed to 90 km/h (56 mph). The locomotive and four carriages derailed after the impact; the carriage coupled directly behind the locomotive sustained the most damage.[3] Six other carriages, among them the restaurant carriage, remained on the track. Three freight vans on another track were also derailed.[1] At the time of the accident, there were approximately 400 people on board the train,[4] 105 of them of Polish nationality.[5] There was also a group of people travelling to an Iron Maiden concert in Prague.[6][7][8]

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. The first rescue unit, which consisted of firefighters stationed in Studénka, arrived at the accident site only seven minutes after the alarm was issued.[9] There were a total of 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.[9] Thanks to cooperation within the Integrated rescue system (Integrovaný záchranný systém), all the injured were in the hospitals within two hours of the accident. Polish authorities offered help with the rescue operation immediately when notified about the disaster, but the offer was not accepted as Czech rescue services did not consider it necessary.[10]

Criticism

Immediately after the accident there was a great public uproar about finding the culprits. First accused was the Czech Railways company for letting trains travel at relatively high speeds in the construction area. However, the Czech Railways spokesman stated that the building company had not notified the Czech Railways about the ongoing reconstruction of the bridge. The building company Dopravní stavby Ostrava was also accused of being responsible for the accident. The spokesman for the company stated that the causes of the falling bridge parts onto the track were being investigated and that all the compulsory notifications to the Czech Railways about the reconstruction of the bridge had definitely been issued.[11]

Aftermath

Two Czech men, three Czech women and a Polish woman[10] were killed in the crash, while the seventh victim, a young Ukrainian man, died later in hospital.[12] The eighth fatality, a 21-year-old Polish woman, died two months after the disaster on 26 September.[13]

The cost of the damage was estimated at 136 million CZK (5.6 million Euros, 8.4 million US dollars), according to a Czech Rail Safety Inspection Office announcement.[1] The Czech Railways company promised to pay compensation to everyone injured as well as to families of the dead. The amount of money paid would then vary depending on individual circumstances of every case.[14]

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See also

2015 Studénka train crash

References
  1. "Srážka vlaku EuroCity Comenius se spadlým mostem: 7 mrtvých, desítky zraněných, škoda na železnici 136 mil. Kč - Drážní inspekce". Dicr.cz. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  2. "Strojvůdce zatáhl za brzdu a zachránil se skokem do strojovny". IHNed.cz (in Czech). ECONOMIA a. s. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  3. "Studénka den poté: 33 lidí v nemocnicích, odklízení škod v plném proudu". IHNed.cz (in Czech). ECONOMIA a. s. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  4. "Nehoda vlaku EC 108 ve Studénce: 7 mrtvých a 65 zraněných". ŽelPage (in Czech). ŽelPage, o.s. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  5. "PKP Intercity: pociągiem do Pragi jechało 105 Polaków". PAP (in Polish). poranny.pl. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  6. Petra Sasínová, Tomáš Netočný. "Přímo ze Studénky: Vlak měl zpoždění. Osudných 10 minut - Aktuálně.cz". Aktualne.centrum.cz. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  7. "Rychlík vrazil u Studénky do trosek mostu, 7 mrtvých - Aktuálně.cz". Bleskove.aktualne.centrum.cz. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  8. "Tragic News from Czech Republic". Ironmaiden.com. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  9. Kůdela, Petr (10 August 2008). "OBRAZEM: náročný zásah hasičů u Studénky". katastrofy.com (in Czech). PETR NOVY. Archived from the original on 10 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  10. "Polka zginęła w katastrofie pociągu EuroCity". katowice.naszemiasto.pl (in Polish). POLSKAPRESSE spółka z o.o. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  11. "Společnost ODS - Dopravní stavby Ostrava se vyjadřuje k nehodě". Moravskoslezský deník (in Czech). VLTAVA-LABE-PRESS, a.s. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  12. "Poslední oběť identifikovali krátce po půlnoci". Moravskoslezský deník (in Czech). VLTAVA-LABE-PRESS, a.s. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  13. "Eighth victim of train disaster" (in Czech). MF Dnes. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  14. "České dráhy slibují vyplatit rodinám obětí ze Studénky statisíce korun". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis a.s. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
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