 "Russia: 7 dead, 30 injured after train derails in Bryansk region due to suspected bridge collapse. Image: Reuters(representative)")
At least seven people were killed and 30 others injured after a passenger train derailed late Saturday in Russia’s Bryansk region, Reuters reported, quoting regional governor Alexander Bogomaz.
The train was heading from Moscow to Klimov when it went off the tracks in the Vygonichsky district after a bridge collapsed.
The train’s locomotive and several cars derailed “due to the collapse of a span structure of the road bridge as a result of an illegal interference in the operation of transport,” Russian Railways said on the Telegram messaging app.
Regional governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed the incident on Telegram, saying emergency services were at the scene. The derailment happened near a federal highway, and several rescue teams were deployed, according to Russia’s emergency ministry.
Russian state news outlets RIA and TASS reported that the train’s driver was among the dead. Independent Telegram channels Baza and SHOT, known for citing law enforcement sources, claimed the bridge may have been deliberately blown up, though this has not been confirmed.
Russia’s ministry of emergency situations said on Telegram that its main efforts were aimed at finding and rescuing victims, and that some 180 personnel were involved in the operation.
Photos released by government agencies showed train cars badly damaged and scattered among broken pieces of the collapsed bridge. Videos on social media also showed vehicles narrowly avoiding the collapse just moments before it happened.