At least seven individuals were confirmed dead and 30 others were injured following a derailment of a passenger train in western Russia's Bryansk region late on Saturday night. The accident happened when a road bridge unexpectedly collapsed onto the railroad tracks, in what authorities have termed an act of "illegal interference with transport operations. The train was traveling from Moscow to the town of Klimovo when it hit the wreckage of the fallen bridge in the Vygonichsky district, approximately 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Russian Railways confirmed the locomotive and several carriages of the train were derailed in the accident.

Moscow Railways posted on Telegram that the derailment occurred because of "the collapse of a road bridge span as a result of illegal interference in the operation of transport." Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry deployed 180 staff to the scene for search and rescue operations, which continue. Authorities confirmed the fatalities in a Telegram update by Governor Alexander Bogomaz. “There are seven dead as a result of the collapse. Thirty victims, including two children, were taken to medical facilities. Everything is being done to assist,” he said.

image (6)

ALSO READ: Liverpool Parade Chaos: 47 Injured After Car Rams Into Crowd, Police Say No Terror Link | Horrific Video

State media news reports confirmed that among the dead was the locomotive driver of the train. Photos posted by government agencies appeared to show passenger cars from the train ripped apart and lying amid fallen concrete from the collapsed bridge. Other footage on social media appeared to be taken from inside vehicles that narrowly avoided driving onto the bridge before it collapsed. Rosavtodor, the federal agency of Russian roads, said the bridge, which crossed over the railway line, collapsed unexpectedly. Massive chunks of concrete came crashing down just as the passenger train was passing beneath.

Bryansk Region On Edge Amid War Tensions

The Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, has also witnessed heightened military tensions ever since Russia invaded Ukraine on a full scale in 2022. Shelling across the border, drone attacks, and sabotage missions have become common occurrences that regularly disturb infrastructure in the sensitive area. Though no Russian officials have openly accused any suspects, the phrase "illegal interference" tends to get bandied about to describe acts of terrorism or sabotage. According to the Telegram channel Baza, which specialises in law enforcement sources, the bridge was likely intentionally destroyed, although evidence was not given.

ALSO READ: Nigeria Bus Crash: 21 Young Athletes Die In Fatal Accident After National Sports Event

The incident has heightened fresh fears over the security of transport infrastructure in regions close to conflict zones. In the meantime, the United States' President Donald Trump urged Moscow and Kyiv to go back to the negotiating table, while it is reported that Russia proposed a second round of direct talks with Ukrainian leaders in Istanbul next week.

Image