Major Train Collision in Southern Czech Republic
A serious railway accident occurred in the southern Czech Republic on Thursday, November 20, 2025, when two trains collided head-on near the city of Ceske Budejovice. The incident resulted in 57 people sustaining injuries, with varying degrees of severity reported by different authorities.
Emergency Response and Injury Details
The collision happened at approximately 6:20 AM local time, involving an express train and another passenger train. Regional rescue services initially confirmed that while most injuries were minor, two people suffered serious injuries. However, conflicting reports emerged later when a hospital in Ceske Budejovice stated they had admitted five patients with serious injuries.
Emergency services mounted a massive response to the accident scene. The Fire Service of the Czech Republic documented their efforts on social media, sharing photographs and videos that showed numerous emergency personnel working at the site. All passengers were successfully evacuated from both trains according to Martin Kavka, spokesperson for rail operator Sprava zeleznic.
Transport Disruption and Investigation
The accident caused significant disruption to rail services in the region. Traffic between Ceske Budejovice and Plzen was completely halted and wasn't expected to resume until afternoon hours. Transport Minister Martin Kupka addressed the situation on social media platform X, confirming that the crash remains under investigation.
Preliminary findings suggest that one of the trains likely passed a signal in the stop position, indicating a possible safety protocol violation. The investigation continues to determine the exact cause of this serious railway incident that left dozens injured and disrupted travel across the region.
