Five seriously injured in Budapest metro accident

Budapest (MTI) – Five people suffered serious injuries when two trains on Budapest’s M2 metro line collided early on Monday, public television M1 reported.

In the accident, which happened when a train caught up with and collided into the back of another near Pillangó street station, ten other people were also injured lightly.

According to the Traffic Safety Organisation, the second train slipped on the rails. Budapest public transport company BKV chief Tibor Bolla said that there was no indication of a technical problem and raised the possibility of human error.

An investigation into causes of the accident is under way.

The line between Örs Vezér square and Puskás Ferenc Stadium was closed down. Bolla told a press conference earlier that services were expected to resume on Tuesday morning.

Opposition party Jobbik, commenting on the accident, urged the public transport authority to ensure “long-term and predictable” financing. Jobbik’s municipal representative Marcell Gergely Tokody suggested that there might have been safety shortcomings due to “parsimonious funding”.

The opposition Socialists blamed the crash on the government cutting public transport spending and said that recent problems along three out of the city’s four metro lines revealed “systemic” shortcomings.

The leftist Democratic Coalition called on Budapest Mayor István Tarlós to launch an investigation, while green opposition LMP said that the entire metro network should be checked for faults.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI