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Passenger killed after train hits truck at Poland level crossing

Paulin Kola
News imageReuters A yellow-brown train engine on the side on rail tracks to the left of which one can see a group of people wearing yellow high-visibility jackets and a red fire engineReuters
It is the second such accident in Poland in as many weeks

A passenger has been killed in Poland as a train derailed after colliding with a concrete mixer truck at a level crossing.

About 120 people were on board the intercity train at the time of the crash in Sokolniki Suche, some 100km (60 miles) south of the capital Warsaw, at around 11:20 (09:20 GMT). PKP Intercity, the country's national long-distance rail operator, said: "20 people were injured, including four seriously".

It is the second such incident in days in Poland.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the accident was "very serious and also means that we must immediately begin urgent work on tougher regulations".

News imageReuters The side of a derailed train carriage has been torn off showing seats inside and a number of them which have been ripped off. Other carriages behind appear tilted to the right, almost touching the green-grass covered bankReuters
There is extensive damage to some of the carriages of the train

Tusk said the "radical toughening of the rules" was needed "for those who, unfortunately, quite systematically drive on to level crossings despite the barriers and red lights".

Reports from the scene say there were traffic lights at the level crossing of Wednesday's accident and the cement mixer had hit the carriage behind the train engine.

It is still too early to determine the sequence of events.

However, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak has said that the driver of the truck - who is among the injured - had said "he was blinded by the sun".

Last week, a lorry driver crossed the first set of barriers at a level crossing as they were closing and dramatic footage showed him reversing, then moving forward in an unsuccessful attempt to evade another PKP train which was coming at speed.