Shortly after 10 a.m. on Monday, October 13, 2025, a tranquil morning in eastern Slovakia was shattered by the sound of metal grinding against metal. Two passenger trains, each filled with travelers, collided head-on near the village of Jablonov nad Turňou in the Rožňava district, just a few kilometers from the Hungarian border. The crash occurred at a spot where the railway narrows from two tracks to one, right in front of a tunnel—a detail that would soon become central to the unfolding investigation, according to the Slovak Railway Company (ZSSK), as reported by MTI.
Emergency officials quickly confirmed the scale of the disaster: more than 90 people were injured, with at least seven in serious or critical condition. The Slovak Fire and Rescue Service, cited by BNO News, described a chaotic scene, with rescue crews working for hours to free passengers trapped in the wreckage and provide medical assistance. Around 100 people were on board the trains at the time of the collision, making the incident one of the most significant rail accidents in recent Slovak memory.
Images released by police painted a grim picture: twisted metal, derailed cars scattered along a hillside, and an engine that had left the tracks entirely. One train remained upright on the rails, while the other had derailed in the violent impact. The crash site, just west of Košice and close to a tunnel, became the focus of a massive emergency response. Firefighters, paramedics, and air ambulance crews descended on the scene, their efforts guided in part by drones equipped with thermal cameras. These drones swept over the wreckage, searching for additional victims and monitoring for fire risks—a modern touch in a scene that otherwise echoed the disasters of a bygone era.
Officials assessed 91 people at the scene: seven suffered serious injuries, 14 had moderate injuries, and 70 were treated for minor wounds. All of the injured were transported to nearby hospitals, some via evacuation buses set up for those with lighter injuries. Miraculously, no deaths were reported. The swift and coordinated response of rescue teams likely saved lives, as did the actions of firefighters who stemmed leaking fluids from the damaged trains and implemented fire safety measures to prevent a secondary disaster.
For those involved, the ordeal was harrowing but, in the end, survivable. As BNO News emphasized, "All passengers and train operators were rescued and are now safe." The sense of relief was palpable, even as questions about what went wrong began to swirl.
Slovak Minister of Health Kamil Sasko, speaking at a press conference, provided further clarity on the extent of the injuries. "Paramedics treated 91 people at the scene. Seven of them are seriously injured and in critical condition, 14 others are moderately injured, and 70 have minor injuries," Sasko confirmed, as reported by MTI. The fact that no fatalities occurred was seen as nothing short of remarkable, given the violence of the collision and the number of people involved.
The international dimension of the accident became clear almost immediately. The site of the crash, near the Slovak-Hungarian border, raised concerns about the potential involvement of Hungarian citizens. Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, reached out to his Slovak counterpart, Juraj Blanár, to express sympathy and offer the assistance of the Hungarian National Ambulance Service. However, according to Slovak authorities and as relayed by Minister Szijjártó, "no Hungarians were involved in the train accident, and no requests for assistance have been received by the consular service in this matter." The Hungarian consul remained on standby, closely monitoring events and liaising with Slovak officials, ready to assist if needed.
The physical details of the crash site quickly became a focus for investigators. The collision happened where two tracks merge into a single line, right in front of a tunnel. After the crash, one train stayed on the rails while the other derailed, a fact confirmed by both the Slovak Railway Company and images from the scene. The merging of tracks is a known risk point in railway operations, and investigators are now poring over signaling records, crew communications, and maintenance logs to determine what led to the tragic miscalculation or failure.
While the cause of the accident remains under investigation, the Slovak Fire and Rescue Service noted that their teams had to address not just the immediate injuries, but also the potential for secondary hazards. Firefighters "stopped leaking fluids from the damaged trains and implemented fire safety measures while assisting police at the scene," as detailed by BNO News. The use of drones with thermal cameras added a layer of technological sophistication to the search for victims and the monitoring of fire risks, a sign of the evolving nature of emergency response in the region.
For many locals, the incident was a stark reminder of the risks inherent in rail travel, even in an era of advanced safety systems. The village of Jablonov nad Turňou, usually a quiet spot near the border, found itself at the center of international attention. The proximity to Hungary meant that cross-border cooperation was swift, though ultimately not required for Hungarian citizens this time around.
According to HQ News, the crash prompted a major emergency response, with authorities confirming that most passengers suffered minor injuries, though several required more serious medical attention. The images shared by police—showing derailed cars and twisted metal—underscored the severity of the impact and the sheer luck that no lives were lost.
As the investigation continues, officials are urging patience and caution. The Slovak Railway Company (ZSSK) has stated that the cause of the accident is not yet clear, and all possibilities remain on the table. Was it human error, a signaling failure, or a mechanical problem that caused two trains to find themselves on a collision course at a notorious pinch point in the track? For now, those questions remain unanswered, but the search for clarity is underway.
In the aftermath, the focus remains on the recovery of the injured and the restoration of normal rail service in the region. The incident has also sparked discussions about railway safety, particularly at points where tracks merge or cross. With modern technology now playing a bigger role in both prevention and response, officials hope that lessons learned from this accident will help prevent similar incidents in the future.
For the passengers and crew who survived the collision, life will eventually return to normal, though the memory of that October morning will linger. The swift and effective emergency response, the absence of fatalities, and the cross-border cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary all stand as testaments to the resilience and professionalism of those involved. As the investigation proceeds, the hope is that answers will soon emerge, ensuring that such a disaster does not repeat itself on these tracks.