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The collision of an express train with a passenger train on Sunday evening sent 79 passengers to the hospital, with 13 people still hospitalized.
The express train hit the back of the passenger train near the town of Pezinok, Slovakia, with 800 passengers in total aboard. None are said to be in life-threatening condition, according to The Associated Press.
Prime Minister Robert Fico reportedly said the crash was due to human error.
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Slovak Railways director Ivan Bednárik said the first train passed through a red light, moving into the wrong sector, The Slovak Spectator reported.
“The express had already started braking, otherwise the consequences would have been far worse,” Bednárik said, according to reports.
This is the second collision in the past month, with 91 people previously injured on Oct. 13 following a crash in eastern Slovakia, Reuters reported.
Pezinok is “a modern district town with built-up industry,” notes the official government website.
The town is known for its viticulture and wine production, as well as various historical monuments.
“The city is characterized by a historical center with typical town houses, streets in a regular grid plan and the remains of the original walls,” reads the website.
Slovakia welcomed nearly two million visitors in 2024, according to the European Union.
In September, a tourist-packed tram crashed in Lisbon, Portugal, leaving at least 15 dead and 18 injured.
The cable-pulled tram Glória Funicular, which has carried residents and tourists for generations, came off the tracks before crashing into a nearby building.
Fabiana Pavel, president of the Bairro Alto Residents’ Association, is placing blame on “excessive tourism” leading up to the tragic train incident.
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“The use of it in recent years is certainly inappropriate,” he told BBC News. “
It was used too much and the population lost the ability to use it as public transport, because it became a tourist attraction.”
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The tram connects Lisbon’s downtown with the Bairro Alto district and welcomes thousands of visitors annually, according to AP.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting.
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