Engineers charged with responsibility of fatal train crash plead innocence

Two civil engineers charged following one of the worst train accidents in recent Czech history have pled their innocence. Zdeněk Malý and Oldřich Magnusek, who police say knew about the structural instability of a bridge which collapsed onto a railway track in Northern Moravia two weeks ago, told the press on Monday that they did not feel themselves to be guilty of endangering the public. If convicted, the pair could face up to ten years each in prison. According to Messrs Malý and Magnusek, moves were made to fortify the bridge in the days running up to the accident. Seven people died, and ten times as many were left hospitalized after a train traveling from Krakow to Prague collided with debris from the fallen bridge.

Author: Rosie Johnston