Nearly 50 injured in collision between two trains in the Czech Republic

A collision between two passenger trains in the southern Czech Republic injured 47 people, according to local officials.

The crash happened shortly after 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday near the villages of Zliv and Dívčice, where an express train and a local passenger train collided, according to Czech police and regional emergency services.

Local officials said 41 passengers and 5 rail employees were injured. Emergency crews transported 35 people to six nearby hospitals, while the remaining victims were treated at the site, according to Česká media.

Officials said 22 patients remain hospitalized following the collision. Six are in intensive care and one is being treated in the anesthesiology and resuscitation department, according to regional authorities.

Police spokesperson Štěpánka Schwarzová said investigators have opened a criminal inquiry on suspicion of public endangerment caused by negligence. She said alcohol tests for both train drivers were negative.

Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka said early findings suggest the signal violation is the most probable cause, though the investigation remains in its initial stages.