Officials in the southern Volgograd region of Russia reported that a passenger train with more than 800 people on board derailed earlier today following a collision with a truck.
As reported by Volgograd Region Governor, the incident occurred while a passenger train was en route from Kazan, situated in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, to the Adler station in Sochi. Nine out of twenty train’s carriages derailed.
Official reports indicate that 30 individuals, 15 of whom are children, have been transported to the hospital. More than a hundred others are reported to have sustained injuries that did not require immediate hospitalization. No fatalities have been reported so far.
According to Russian Railways, the driver of a truck flagrantly disregarded traffic rules by driving onto a railway crossing in front of an approaching train, despite the warning signal.
Russian Railways claims that the train was moving at a speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40.4 miles per hour) when the driver activated the emergency brake; however, the collision could not be prevented.
The truck driver has survived the collision, however, it has been reported that he suffered serious injuries to his head and legs.
Russian officials have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which is classified as a violation of traffic safety rules while operating a train.
