In Croatia, a freight train carrying apparently Ukrainian grain derailed; 11 cars fell into a ravine
Kyiv • UNN
Near Rijeka, a freight train derailed after its brakes failed. No one was injured, and the causes of the accident are being investigated.
In Croatia, a large-scale railway accident occurred on the morning of October 10 near the city of Rijeka. A freight train operated by the private carrier Transagent derailed, causing 11 cars to fall into a ravine. According to preliminary data, the train was carrying grain, likely of Ukrainian origin, Teklic.hr reports, as cited by UNN.
Details
The accident occurred at approximately 9:25 a.m. at the entrance to Mejа railway station. According to local media reports, before the derailment, the driver told the dispatcher that the brakes had failed and that he was unable to stop the train. Despite the extensive damage, no one was injured in the incident.
The locomotive stopped just one meter from the home of Croatian Railways employee Vinko Boras, who has lived near the station for 28 years. The man said he immediately ran to the driver, who was not injured.
Railway service suspended, cause of accident under investigation
Because of the accident, train traffic on this section was completely suspended, and passengers are temporarily being transported by buses. Railway infrastructure sustained serious damage, particularly the rails and sleepers. The situation is complicated by the fact that the accident occurred on a section where the track branches in three directions.
Railway workers warn that restoration work may take a long time. First, specialists must partially repair the tracks to provide railway cranes with access to the accident site and begin lifting the cars from the ravine.
Croatia’s Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovich, said that preliminary data do not indicate the unsatisfactory condition of the railway infrastructure as the cause of the accident. A technical failure of the train or human error are among the main theories being considered.
Police and representatives of the Agency for the Investigation of Aviation, Maritime and Railway Accidents are working at the site. The exact cause of the train’s derailment will be established after the official investigation is completed.