MOSCOW, Oct. 26 — Thirty-nine freight train cars were derailed and seven tank cars caught fire in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region early Monday, disrupting rail traffic, local authorities said.
According to the Sverdlovsk Railway, the accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. local time (2030 GMT Sunday) on the Makartsevo-Sedelnikovo section of the Reshety-Aramil railway line near Yekaterinburg, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk region.
The derailment blocked the adjacent track, prompting authorities to suspend rail traffic on the affected section. The Sverdlovsk Railway said passenger train services do not operate on the affected section. Firefighters and recovery trains were dispatched to the scene.
The seven burning tank cars were uncoupled from the train, while the remaining cars were being moved to a safe distance, the regional branch of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
The fire was contained to an area of 1,500 square meters, with 106 personnel and 20 ministry vehicles involved in the response. No casualties have been reported.
Investigators and forensic specialists have arrived at the scene. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
