Marhanets train accident

Marhanets train accident

A railway crossing near Marhanets where the collision occurred
Details
Date 12 October 2010
Time 08:30 a.m. local time (05:30 UTC)[1]
Location Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
Coordinates 47°39′05″N 34°35′02″E / 47.65139°N 34.58389°ECoordinates: 47°39′05″N 34°35′02″E / 47.65139°N 34.58389°E
Country Ukraine
Rail line Zaporizhzhia-Marhanets
Operator Ukrainian Railways
Type of incident Level crossing collision
Cause Violation of traffic rules[2]
Statistics
Trains 1
Passengers 54
Deaths 45[3]
Injuries 9[4]

The Marhanets train accident occurred on 12 October 2010, at Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine when a train collided with a passenger bus on a railroad level crossing. 43 people were reported dead and nine injured.[4] The bus driver, whose actions allegedly caused the collision, was killed in the accident as well.[4] The collision was the worst single road accident in Ukraine's history by number of victims.[5]

Accident

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in Ukraine

The collision between a midibus carrying around 48 passengers and a locomotive occurred at 08:30 a.m. local time (05:30 UTC)[1] at an unmanned automated railway crossing.[6] Of those who were killed, 38 died at the scene and the others in hospitals from their injuries.[4]

Ukrzaliznytsia's press service reported that a preliminary theory on the cause of the accident was the violation of traffic rules by the driver of the bus.[2]

Reaction of the authorities

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine planned to allocate 100,000 hryvnias (approx. 12,600 US dollars) to each family of those killed and injured in a collision.[6] Officials said this was the deadliest vehicle accident in the country's history.[7] President Viktor Yanukovych, on a visit to the region at the time, declared Wednesday the 13th a day of national mourning.[4] Yanukovych also ordered for an investigation into the incident to be carried out in order to determine who bore responsibility for the crash[8] and instructed transport officials to install automated crossing gates at all railway crossings to prevent cars, buses and trucks from ignoring signals.[7]

Road and railway accidents are common in Ukraine, where the roads are in poor condition, vehicles are poorly maintained, and drivers and passengers routinely disregard safety and traffic rules.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Forty killed as train hits bus in Ukraine". AFP. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Ukrzaliznytsia forms commission to investigate cause of bus-train accident". Kyiv Post. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  3. Умерла уже 45-я жертва аварии под Марганцем(Russian)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Train and bus collide in Ukraine, 43 killed". Reuters Africa. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  5. Balmforth, Richard (13 October 2010). "Train crushes bus, leaving 41 dead in Ukraine's worst traffic accident". Edinburgh: Scotsman.com. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Azarov: Government to allocate Hr 100,000 to each family of train-bus collision victims". Kyiv Post. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Forty-three killed in bus, train crash
  8. "Ukraine train and bus collision kills 42". BBC News Online. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  9. 40 killed in Ukraine train collision