At approximately noon on Friday, 28 February 2025, the derailment of a freight train loaded with benzole led to a massive fire, with flames reaching up to twenty metres and a dense column of black smoke. The incident, which resulted in no injuries, occurred near Hustopeče nad Bečvou, a key junction for freight transport between northern Moravia and Slovakia. The affected Hranice na Moravě–Horní Lideč railway line is commonly used for the transportation of chemical materials produced by the Deza plant in Valašské Meziříčí, a company controlled by the Agrofert conglomerate. This facility, specialising in the processing of tar and crude benzole, regularly supplies markets across Central Europe. Rail traffic will remain suspended for at least four weeks, with passenger trains being rerouted via Přerov and Ostrava. Freight transport will experience delays on the Prague-Košice route, increasing logistical costs for chemical companies in the region.
The derailed train, consisting of seventeen tank wagons, was carrying approximately 1,020 tonnes of benzole destined for industrial plants in Slovakia and Hungary. According to preliminary reports, at 11:47 CET, the ČD Cargo freight train, travelling along Line 280, derailed, with fifteen of the seventeen tank wagons involved leaving the tracks. This led to the rupture of couplings and the spillage of liquid benzole. The substance’s contact with hot surfaces or sparks ignited a fire within two minutes of the derailment, as confirmed by data from the train’s black boxes.
