Monday 02 / June / 2025
A passenger train derailed in Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, late Saturday after a bridge collapsed because of what local officials described as "illegal interference."
Alexander Bogomaz, the regional governor of Bryansk, said on the Telegram messaging app that seven people died in the collapse, which occurred in the Vygonichskyi district near a federal highway.
"There are seven dead as a result of the collapse of a bridge onto railway tracks. Thirty victims, including two children, were taken to medical facilities of the Bryansk region," he wrote.
"Emergency services and government officials are working at the scene," Bogomaz added. "Everything is being done to provide all necessary assistance to the victims."
The train came off its tracks while it was en route to the Russian capital of Moscow from Klimov in the country's west, Moscow Railways said in a statement.
It said the bridge had been damaged "as a result of illegal interference in transport operations" without elaborating.
Russia's Emergency Ministry said on Telegram that it sent an additional deployment to the fire and rescue units already working at the site.
Officials also said they opened an investigation into the incident.
The disaster area is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine has not commented on the bridge collapse or derailed train.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, Russia's border regions, including Bryansk, have faced border shelling, drone strikes and covert raids from Ukraine.
