40 dead as Ukraine train hits bus

Cookie_Monster

At least 40 people have died when their bus was hit by a train at a level crossing in Ukraine.

Another 10 were seriously injured in the accident outside the town of Marhanets in the Dnipropetrovsk region after the bus attempted to cross the track, ignoring a siren that indicated an oncoming train.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov reacted by ordering payments of €9,000 to the victims' families and demanding automated crossing gates be installed at all railway crossings.

Press Association

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/40-dead-as-ukraine-train-hits-bus-2375542.html

Either this happened a while ago or thats a very quick reaction from the PM on the accident. Low value to put on a life too.

munchkin_utd

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/40-dead-as-ukraine-train-hits-bus-2375542.html

Either this happened a while ago or thats a very quick reaction from the PM on the accident. Low value to put on a life too.

Its also on bbc as happening today
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11522009

9000 Euros might seem like a low price to an Irish mind that is used to a very very generous personal injuiry regime and also coming so soon after the economic boom where 9k was considered a reasonable price for a granite kitchen worktop amongst other things.........
but in eastern europe 9000 Euros is a totally different proposition.

The average wage in Kiev is 360Euro a month (and you'd pay tax on that) so 4300 a year
The average wage in the poorest region is 160 Euro a month so 1920 a year (and again, you'd expect to pay tax on that).
Ukrainian Average salaries by region (1UAH = 10c Eur)

so your 9 grand is tipping between 2 years wages and 4.5 years wages.
Thats actually pretty generous relative to the local economy.

A Dub in Glasgo

Interestingly enough, there are no demands for road vehicle drivers to obey the rules?

Stonewolf

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Interestingly enough, there are no demands for road vehicle drivers to obey the rules?

Pffft, that's not how the modern world works. It's clearly the railways fault for not taking enough measures to prevent bus drivers having to make decisions. People don't kill people, having to make decisions does.

road_high

Wow, there's really nothing much left of the bus is there? Says 10 were injured, hard to believe 10 would survive on that bus.

Victor

That may be an "immediate" payment, with the details to be sorted out later.

dowlingm

interesting that the PM immediately decided on LC replacement with autogates. I guess they don't cost the quarter mill in Ukraine that they do in Ireland.