No fewer than seven people have died and dozens injured after two bridges collapsed overnight in separate incidents in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
According to the regional governor, Alexander Bogomaz, a road bridge came down in Bryansk, bringing several heavy trucks onto a moving passenger train late on Saturday.
Following the incident, Emergency services said at least seven people were killed while more than 47 people were taken to hospital, including one child.
Moscow Railway, while reacting on Telegram, alleged “illegal interference” responsible for the bridge collapse.
However, another bridge collapsed hours later in the Zheleznogorsk district, derailing a locomotive train.
According to thr acting governor Alexander Khinshtein, the train caught fire and a driver suffered injuries to his legs, Khinshtein said.
Khinshtein wrote on Telegram: “The cause of the bridge collapse will be established. All emergency services are working on the scene. I am keeping the situation under control.”
While the causes of the two collapses in the neighbouring regions are still unclear and Ukraine yet to comment, Moscow’s interregional transport prosecutor’s office said an investigation had been launched.
Authorities said the train’s locomotive and several cars derailed when the road bridge fell on to it, adding that the passengers on the Klimovo to Moscow train have been evacuated guided to a meeting point at a nearby station, adding, “They will be able to continue their journey on a specially formed reserve train” traveling from Bryansk to Moscow.
