Rail traffic - Approximately 140 injured in Russia railway accident
In Russia, several wagons of a passenger train carrying over 800 people were derailed in the Volga region. The Russian railways company RZD reports around 140 injured; 16 people were taken to the hospital, including a child.
On social media videos, the overturned wagons were visible in an uninhabited area. The train, which was traveling from Kazan, the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan, to Adler on the Black Sea, had 803 passengers according to RZD. Two railway personnel were also taken to the hospital.
According to RZD, eight wagons derailed in the Volgograd region. This accident occurred when a truck driver attempted to cross a railway crossing despite a red signal. Despite applying the brakes, there was a collision with train number 491. The truck driver is reported to have survived with severe injuries. An official confirmation of this was not initially available. It was unclear whether there were fatalities.
The wagons were to be righted using specialized equipment. They had been knocked off the tracks by the force of the emergency braking. Railway CEO Oleg Belosjorov took personal control of the rescue efforts according to RZD. Traffic on the line was temporarily halted. Trains to Black Sea resorts were rerouted onto other railways.
The railway is considered one of the most important and reliable means of transportation in the largest country in the world. Accidents are relatively rare. In recent years, however, there have been several acts of sabotage on railway tracks - by opponents of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. The railway is also crucial for the military, to supply troops in Ukraine.
- Despite the traffic halt on the line, passengers from the derailed passenger train in Volgogard were transferred to alternative trains heading towards Black Sea resorts.
- The Russian railways company RZD is investigating the truck accident that led to the derailment of a wagon from the Passenger train in Volgograd, which resulted in injuries and temporary halt of traffic.
- In Kasan, the authorities are closely monitoring the situation regarding the train accident in the Volgograd region, as many people from Tatarstan were traveling on the passenger train to the Black Sea.
- Reports of traffic disruptions due to the train accident in the Volgogard region have reached as far as the Black Sea, causing concern among passengers and tourists planning to visit the resorts.
- After the train accident in Volgograd, there have been calls for improving safety measures at railway crossings, especially in regions like Volgograd and Tatarstan, to prevent such incidents in the future.
