The High-Speed Rail Disaster
April 13, 1996, was a day that would be etched in the memories of millions of people forever. The National Railways of Ukraine’s mainline train, Prykarpattia, was traveling from Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, to the western city of Lviv, carrying over 500 passengers, most of them locals, tourists, and businessmen.
As the train screeched to a stop at a signal-free intersection in the small town of Sinelnikovo, a series of catastrophic events unfolded. A key section of track, notorious for its curves, had been damaged by a recent landslide, causing the train’s rear cars to momentarily lose speed. The engineer, unaware of the danger lurking ahead, double-checked the controls as if in a trance, before finally noticing that the training was slowing down.
It was too late. A massive wreck awaited. The crumpled derailed cars crushed the front section of the train, scattering debris and bodies along the track. The first jolt also triggered an explosion within the fuel tank. this caused a fierce fireball that engulfed the wreckage, aggravating the smoke and panic that had already engulfed the area.
When the impact was finally over, 240 people had either been killed or seriously injured. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, the reality sinking in that they were looking at one of the worst train disasters in modern history.
