Prague, July 22 (CTK) – The relatives of the two people killed in a collision of a Czech high-speed train and a lorry that yesterday occurred near Studenka, north Moravia, will receive a minimum advance payment of 21,000 euros from the Ceske drahy (CD) railway operator, CD spokesman Petr Stahlavsky told CTK.
He said the passengers injured in the collision will be compensated as well.
Stahlavsky said paying the first part of the compensation does not mean that CD is responsible for the crash in which two passengers died and the engine driver and 12 passengers were injured, five of them seriously.
He said CD is obliged to pay the compensation according to the European legislation irrespective of whether it caused the accident or not.
It seems that the driver of the truck, a middle-aged Polish man, is to blame for the crash. He did not suffer any serious injury.
Stahlavsky said CD will demand that the compensation is covered by the insurance company of the party at fault.
Anybody who suffered material or health damage may report it to the Generali insurance company, its spokesman Jiri Civka told CTK.
The property damage liability of the truck that collided with the Pendolino train was signed with Generali in Poland, Civka said.
“With respect to the extent of the tragedy, we immediately adopted special measures and we are ready to settle the damage as soon as possible, Generali Czech branch’s director Pavel Mencl said.
The damage on the crashed train is estimated at 150 million crowns, Rail Inspection Authority spokesman Martin Drapal said.
The total damage incurred is nearly 160 million crowns.
The section of the railway corridor from Ostrava to Hranice na Morave, north Moravia, will probably be reopened for trains after midnight.
($1=24.908 crowns)
