Two bridges collapse in Russia, one falls on train full of passengers, at least seven dead

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

At least seven people were killed and 70 were injured when a highway bridge collapsed in the Bryansk region of Russia and fell on a moving train full of passengers. The cause of the bridge collapse was an explosion, the governor of the region, Alexander Bogomaz, said. This is the second railway accident in Russia in the last 24 hours - in both cases bridges collapsed.

A road bridge in the Vygonysky district collapsed onto the tracks, after which the train derailed.

“There was an explosion on the highway bridge while the train was moving, which had 388 passengers on board,” Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on the Russia 24 television channel, RIA Novosti reported.

He explained on Telegram that 47 people were hospitalized, including three children. Three of the injured are in serious condition, including an eight-month-old baby.

Bogomaz added that 250 passengers from the train were placed in a temporary reception center, while the rest were taken by relatives.

Another train accident occurred in the Kursk region, where a railway bridge collapsed while a freight train was moving across it, Russian media reported. The accident occurred in the Zheleznogorsk district, on the Trosna-Kalinovka railway, RIA Novosti reported.

After the bridge collapsed, part of the freight train fell onto the road below it, and the diesel locomotive caught fire. The Ministry of Emergency Situations quickly localized the fire, said the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein.

The remaining cars remained on the tracks. The road under the bridge was closed and traffic was suspended.

One of the train drivers injured his leg, and the entire locomotive crew was taken to hospital.

"The cause of the bridge collapse will be determined. All emergency services are on the ground. I am monitoring the situation," Hinštajn added.