Thirteen remain in hospital after Slovak train collision, health minister says

Thirteen people who were injured in a train collision on Sunday evening remain in hospital, Slovak officials said Monday.

A regional high-speed train from Bratislava to Nitra collided with a high-speed train from Košice to Bratislava travelling in the same direction after leaving Pezinok station.

Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj and other officials said 79 passengers, out of some 800 in total, were taken to hospitals, most of them with light injuries.

Thirteen were still hospitalised on Monday, and nobody was in life-threatening condition, Health Minister Kamil Šaško said.

The collision was likely caused by human error, Prime Minister Robert Fico said Monday, as he rejected the resignation of Transport Minister Jozef Ráž Jr over the second such incident in a month.

However, Fico said he would ask Ráž to dismiss the management of the national railway company ZSSK, although the investigation has not yet been completed.

Rail traffic remained closed in both directions on the section between Pezinok and Bratislava on Monday.

On 13 October, two fast trains collided in eastern Slovakia, injuring dozens of passengers, including two who were in a critical condition.