"Her journey had only just begun": what we know about train attendant, 19, killed while evacuating passengers

It has emerged that Ilona Vovk, 19, was the train attendant who died during the evacuation of passengers on the Odesa railway. She had completed a training placement in Germany and was on her first full-service journey with the state-run railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways).

Source: Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia

Quote: "This 19-year-old young woman had only just begun her journey as a train attendant. She had always dreamed of becoming a railway worker and was proud to have completed an internship and to have started her first full trips.

She became very actively involved in our youth railway community – our personnel team noticed her enthusiasm, and Ilona was selected along with her colleagues to complete an internship in Germany. So much still lay ahead of her – she burned with passion for her work."

Details: On 22 March, while a train was stopped due to a Russian drone threat, Ilona was conducting the evacuation of passengers when an oncoming train struck her, causing fatal injuries. According to Pertsovskyi, during the same Russian attack, a drone hit a locomotive on the Prydniprovska Railway. However, the crew and passengers were saved by a timely evacuation.

Ukrzaliznytsia has said the investigation into Ilona's death is ongoing.

Quote: "However, we already know – and it is important to say this: Ilona acted bravely and, at the moment of the tragedy, was heading to help passengers.

It is said that railway safety rules are written in blood. Sadly, every day we live through the writing of the rules for railway operations during wartime – rules we are constantly forced to change and adapt. The blood with which they are written is not abstract – these are names, smiles, dreams, plans that we lose forever. A very painful price to pay for keeping trains moving. But we have no right to stop, despite the constant enemy attacks on the railway."

Previously: In addition to Ilona's death, one passenger sustained moderate injuries as a result of the incident on the Odesa Railway.

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