On Friday, February 28, a freight train derailment near the town of Přerov in eastern Czechia led to a benzene leak and a large-scale fire.
According to ČTK, the train was carrying 17 tankers of benzene, with 15 of them caught in the fire. Each tanker contained around 60 tons of the substance. As a result of the accident, at least five wagons, including the locomotive, were engulfed in flames.
There have been no reports of casualties. Eyewitnesses described the fire as accompanied by flames up to 20 meters high and thick black smoke. Authorities advised residents of a nearby village to refrain from ventilating their homes for a while due to the hazardous smoke.
Firefighters from three regions of Czechia, along with around 50 units of equipment and a chemical laboratory, were deployed to extinguish the blaze. Slovakia will also provide additional assistance with a tanker and a firefighting robot.
Rail traffic on the affected section is halted, and it is expected to be restored in several weeks, which will also disrupt train services between Czechia and Slovakia.
