Two trains collide in Lviv, Ukraine, injuring 8

A diesel train travelling from Lviv to Sokal collided with an electric locomotive at Pidzamche station in Lviv, western Ukraine, on Thursday evening, injuring 8 people in total, Ukrainian officials said. The driver of the diesel train suffered a leg injury and was trapped in his cab after the crash, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on Telegram.

Rescuers freed the driver's assistant from the cab and, together with medics, took two of the injured to hospital by ambulance, the State Emergency Service in Lviv region said. The 8 injured were the driver, his assistant and 6 passengers, regional prosecutors said, revising an earlier toll of the driver and 4 passengers given by national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia shortly after the crash.

Five of the 8 injured were hospitalised and 3 were treated at the scene, a spokeswoman for the Lviv regional emergency medical centre, Tetiana Andrieieva, told public broadcaster Suspilne. The drivers of the electric locomotive were not hurt, Ukrzaliznytsia said.

The collision happened as the diesel train was leaving Pidzamche station, Ukrzaliznytsia said. Preliminary information from the rail operator suggested the diesel train struck the electric locomotive, though the exact cause remained under investigation. Railway specialists and special services were sent to the scene, and Ukrzaliznytsia said its own staff were working alongside them to establish the circumstances, Liga.net reported.

Lviv regional prosecutors were considering registering the case under part 2 of article 276 of Ukraine's criminal code, which covers safety violations by rail transport workers that cause moderate or serious injury or major financial damage, the Lviv regional prosecutor's office said. The street around the station was reopened once rescue and investigation work had finished, officials said.