About 70 people were injured when the Vorkuta-Novorossiysk train derailed in Komi. According to preliminary data, several carriages overturned due to the undermining of the track. Rescuers are trying to get to the scene of the emergency.
What happened to the train
According to SHOT, on Wednesday, June 26, at 18:12 Moscow time, nine cars of passenger train No. 511 Vorkuta – Novorossiysk derailed on the Inta-1 – Ugolny section of the Northern Railway (in the Komi Republic). The train consisted of 14 carriages carrying 232 passengers. In this case, only the “tail” of the train collapsed.
How many victims
It is reported that about 70 people were injured, 10 of whom were seriously injured. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Most of them had head injuries with suspected closed craniocerebral trauma and fractures of the extremities.
How is the rescue operation going?
Eyewitnesses and rescuers climbed onto the overturned carriages and rescued passengers through the broken windows. A recovery train has already arrived at the scene of the emergency, into which passengers from the derailed train are being evacuated. It is known that victims with serious injuries were also removed from the carriages – they were transferred to a suitable train and sent to the nearest hospitals.
Operational services are waiting for helicopters to arrive to help – two Mi-8MTV air ambulances took off from Usinsk, two more aircraft are expected from Syktyvkar and Ukhta. Reanimation teams and emergency doctors are flying to the scene: surgeons, traumatologists, resuscitators. At the same time, some doctors who went to the emergency site by land cannot get to the train due to washed out roads.
Operational services have already deployed two temporary accommodation points (TAP) in the city of Inta: one of them in the local Severyanka hotel. According to SHOT, 50 rooms have already been reserved for evacuated train passengers. Another temporary temporary detention center was located at local school No. 5. Dry rations, food and everything necessary were delivered there.
Reasons for the emergency
The North-Western Transport Prosecutor's Office reported that they had already organized an investigation into the incident with the passenger train.
The Vorkuta transport prosecutor has arrived at the scene Alexander Mironov. The Western Interregional Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for Transport opened a criminal case under the article “Violation of traffic safety rules.” Those found guilty face two years in prison under Part 1 of Art. 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (*aggressor country) “Violation of traffic safety rules and operation of railway transport.” Investigators are at the scene.
According to preliminary data, the train derailed due to the erosion of the railway embankment – at this point the tracks sagged over the resulting void. It is worth noting that just the day before, the local Ministry of Emergency Situations issued a storm warning throughout the region. Information about this was published on the websites of local city administrations. Heavy downpours with hail and gusty winds were expected. The ministry advised local residents to refrain from hiking, going to forests and water bodies, as well as traveling and participating in public events.