Twenty people were injured in a collision between a passenger and a freight train, six of them seriously. Emergency services acted quickly to prevent a larger tragedy and fuel spill.
Following the collision between a passenger and a freight train near Bjelovar on Saturday, all emergency services took swift and decisive action to tend to the injured and prevent a potential fire. Deputy Prime Minister Tomo Medved, the director of the Institute for Emergency Medicine, Maja Grba Bujević, and the chief fire commander, Slavko Tucaković, soon arrived at the scene.
Deputy Prime Minister Medved praised the response of all involved. "They approached the task quickly and humanely to save the injured as soon as possible and place them in appropriate facilities. They also took all necessary actions at the scene to stop any potential fire and prevent a larger accident," Medved emphasized in a statement to N1. He also thanked the county prefects who mobilized all services at the earliest opportunity.
The director of the Institute for Emergency Medicine, Maja Grba Bujević, provided details on the medical response. "We examined 20 patients, six of whom were seriously injured and were transported for further treatment as priority patients-three to Rebro, one to Dubrava, and one remains in Bjelovar," said Grba Bujević. She added that the most severe injuries included head, spine, and chest trauma, while other passengers sustained minor injuries such as bruises, abrasions, and significant stress. At the time of the statement, she did not have information on whether the seriously injured were in life-threatening condition.
The emergency medical service deployed seven ground teams from three counties, and a helicopter service from Zagreb was also involved, transporting the most seriously injured passenger.
Chief Fire Commander Slavko Tucaković described the course of the firefighting intervention. Firefighters from Križevci received the report of the collision at 10:05 AM and immediately headed to the scene, joined by colleagues from Đurđevac with a special vehicle for accident situations.
"All passengers were quickly attended to. The helicopter transported the most seriously injured, and firefighters even drove some of the less seriously injured to Koprivnica," Tucaković reported. A key move was the preventive measure against fire. "We preemptively applied foam in front of the two locomotives to prevent a fire. Fuel from the locomotive tanks, about 1,400 liters, was leaking, but it was transferred to containers and will be properly disposed of," the commander emphasized.
An investigation has begun at the scene to determine the circumstances of the accident. Marijan Kirin, head of the Koprivnica-Križevci Police Department, stated that he cannot prejudge the results of the investigation. In addition to the police, the State Attorney's Office and the Agency for Railway Accidents are also involved in the investigation.
