Poland suffers deadly head-on collision near Szczekociny - Polidicks

[release] [img]http://media.monstersandcritics.com/galleries/3482622_35874/0313126155085.jpg[/img] Two trains have collided in southern Poland, leaving 15 people dead and 50 hurt, local officials say. The accident occurred on Saturday evening on the Warsaw-Krakow mainline at the small town of Szczekociny, according to Polish TV. Two express trains, one of which was on the wrong track, collided head-on, a senior railway official said. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the accident Poland's "most tragic train catastrophe... in many years." Mr Tusk arrived at the scene early on Sunday morning, with three other cabinet ministers. The two trains, comprising 10 carriages in total, were carrying an estimated 350 passengers at the time of the crash. Helicopter ambulances from Warsaw and Wroclaw helped to take the injured to hospitals. "The rescue is difficult and complicated," firefighter Jaroslaw Wojtasik told Polish television. "The damage to the wagons is huge. We have contact with victims. We are approaching very cautiously." Engineering works The accident occurred at 21:15 (20:15 GMT), when a train travelling north from Przemysl to Warsaw collided with a southbound train from Warsaw to Krakow. Scheduled engineering works were taking place on one track at Szczekociny station at the time of the accident. The Krakow train was on the wrong track, Andrzej Pawlowski, a member of the board of the state railway company PKP, told the TV station TVN24. Three coaches are reported to be especially damaged, and the rescue operation is focusing on finding passengers there. The three coaches were "completely destroyed - like a concertina", one eyewitness told the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper. Another passenger estimated that his train was travelling about 120km/h (75 mph), when it started braking very sharply. "Then we felt a powerful impact, and we were thrown about the compartment," the passenger told TVN24.[/release] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17248735[/url] Wow, fuck, all that twisted metal......

That looks terrible.

This breaking news is off the rails. I hope nobody derails this thread.

This accident is horrible.

[QUOTE=MIPS;34985904]This breaking news is off the rails. I hope nobody derails this thread.[/QUOTE] Hey let's stay on track here and not make anymore jokes.

I'd make a pun but fuck that is horrific looking.

Man, why does this happen to Poland? Why does everyone and everything seem to hate Poland? :(

[QUOTE=Tark;34986008]Man, why does this happen to Poland? Why does everyone and everything seem to hate Poland? :([/QUOTE] The railroad system and trains in Poland are waaaay too old and desperately need replacement, I hope this changes something.

It was a good train of thought to play chicken with trains..

[QUOTE=Tudd;34985930]Hey let's stay on track here and not make anymore jokes.[/QUOTE] That's dead-on to my train of thought.

thank god for trained rescue professionals

[QUOTE=PirateMax;34986075]The railroad system and trains in Poland are waaaay too old and desperately need replacement, I hope this changes something.[/QUOTE] I was going to ask, if these are regular scheduled trains, how did one end up on the wrong track? Was it the rail-coordinator's fault?

Their railroad system needs some serious modernization if they can't detect two trains running on the same track in opposite directions.

I ride those trains to my girlfriend every weekend or so, they're like 40 years old. They really suck.

That is mental.

Title makes it sound like the actual country got in an accident with a town or something

I take these trains every weekend at least twice, that green carriage on the right is the second class wagon which I take 99% of the times. I depart from Warsaw, too. fuck

[QUOTE=World Eater;34987553]Title makes it sound like the actual country got in an accident with a town or something[/QUOTE] Being honest? My first thought was something to do with [IMG]http://pictures.mastermarf.com/blog/2010/100628-headon-ad.jpg[/IMG]