Tragedy at the border

Two dead, eight injured in accident involving a tank

The police are currently investigating the case.(Bild: Policie ČR)

A tragic accident occurred on Saturday in the Czech Republic not far from the Austrian border. An old tank overturned during a private demonstration of historical military vehicles. For two men, all help came too late, eight others were injured. Upper Austrian emergency services were also on the scene.

Two people died and eight others were injured in a tragic accident just a stone's throw from the Wullowitz border crossing on Saturday. Near the village of Horní Dvořiště, a World War II half-track tank skidded while crossing a bridge at a private event and crashed into the stream below. It was probably an Sd.Kfz. 251 armored personnel carrier that had been restored in 1966 and was used by the Wehrmacht.

"Despite all the efforts of those involved, two men could not be rescued and died at the scene of the accident. Another eight men escaped with hypothermia and bruises and were transported to the Český Krumlov hospital," Petra Kafková, spokeswoman for the South Bohemian rescue services, told the "blesk.cz" portal.

Upper Austrian emergency services also on site
Five fire departments, six rescue vehicles, an emergency ambulance (NEF), as well as a three-person crisis assistance team and an Upper Austrian emergency helicopter were deployed to the scene.

Not the first tragic accident
Just a few kilometers further north, not far from the town of Kaplice, a terrible bus accident occurred in 2003. A coach full of Czech tourists plunged down a slope there in 2003, killing 19 people and injuring a further 34.