OMM Newsroom
Twenty freight train cars derailed in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region in the Urals on Monday, and seven tank cars caught fire, regional authorities said, according to Anadolu Agency.
The train derailed at 1.30 am local time (2030 GMT) on the Makartsevo-Sedelnikovo section of the railway, according to the Sverdlovsk branch of “Russian Railways”.
The rail operator said the derailment damaged the track gauge on an adjacent line. No passenger trains operate on that section.
The regional branch of Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry later said the fire had been contained across an area of 1,500 square meters (about 16,100 square feet).
No injuries were reported, and train traffic on the affected section was suspended. A recovery train was sent to tow 54 undamaged cars to a safe distance, authorities said.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said investigators and forensic experts had been dispatched to the scene to establish the circumstances of the derailment. The Sverdlovsk transport prosecutor also visited the site as authorities continued investigating the cause.
A total of 106 personnel and 31 pieces of equipment were deployed in the emergency response, including 58 personnel and 20 units from the Emergency Situations Ministry, state news agency “Tass” reported.
The regional branch of consumer rights watchdog “Rospotrebnadzor” said it would monitor air quality near residential areas.
The train was reportedly carrying diesel fuel, although authorities have not officially confirmed its cargo.
