Home World At least seven dead after two Russian bridges collapse

At least seven dead after two Russian bridges collapse

This photo released by Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein telegram channel on Sunday, June 1, 2025, shows a view of a damaged bridge after the crash of a freight train in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.

This photo released by Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein telegram channel on Sunday, June 1, 2025, shows a view of a damaged bridge after the crash of a freight train in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. AP/Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein hide caption

toggle caption

AP/Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein

Explosions caused two bridges to collapse and derailed two trains in western Russia overnight, officials said Sunday, without saying what had caused the blasts. In one of the incidents, seven people were killed and dozens were injured.

The first bridge, in the Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine, collapsed on top of a passenger train on Saturday, causing the casualties. The train’s driver was among those killed, state-run Russian Railways said.

Hours later, officials said a second train derailed when the bridge beneath it collapsed in the nearby Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine.

In that collapse, a freight train was thrown off its rails onto the road below as the explosion collapsed the bridge, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said Sunday. The crash sparked a fire, but there were no casualties, he said.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation agency, said in a statement that explosions had caused the two bridges to collapse, but did not give further details. Several hours later, it edited the statement, which was posted on social media, to remove the words “explosions” but did not provide an explanation.

Sponsor Message

The committee said that it would be investigating the incidents as potential acts of terrorism.

Rescue workers cleared debris from both sites, while some of those injured were transported to Moscow for treatment. Photos posted by government agencies in Bryansk appeared to show train carriages ripped apart and lying amid fallen concrete from the collapsed bridge. Other footage on social media was apparently taken from inside vehicles on the road that had managed to avoid driving onto the bridge before it collapsed.

Damage to railway tracks was also found Sunday by inspectors working on the line elsewhere in the Bryansk region, Moscow Railway said in a statement. It did not say whether the damage was linked to the collapsed bridges.

In the past, some officials have accused pro-Ukrainian saboteurs of attacking Russia’s railway infrastructure. The details surrounding such incidents, however, are limited and cannot be independently verified.

Ukraine’s military intelligence, known by the Ukrainian abbreviation GUR, said Sunday that a Russian military freight train carrying food and fuel had been blown up on its way to Crimea. It did not claim the attack was carried out by GUR or mention the bridge collapses.

The statement said Moscow’s key artery with the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region and Crimea has been destroyed.

Sponsor Message

Russia forces have been pushing into the region of Zaporizhzhia in eastern Ukraine since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia took Crimea and annexed it in 2014.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Must Read

3 dead after mob sets fire to Indonesian regional parliament building

Protesters walk by as the local parliament building is engulfed in flames during a protest following the death of a delivery rider in clashes between riot police and students protesting against lawmakers' allowances in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. Masyudi Firmansyah/AP hide caption toggle caption Masyudi Firmansyah/AP JAKARTA, Indonesia — An angry

Most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, U.S. court rules

President Trump announces his global tariffs at a Rose Garden event at the White House on April 2. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images An appeals court ruled that most of President Trump's tariffs are illegal — but held off on enforcing the decision until mid-October, given expectations that it will

The Effects of Melting Glaciers in Europe

Scientists use pink dye to measure the water flow rate coming off the Rhone glacier outside Zurich, Switzerland. Rob Schmitrz/NPR hide caption toggle caption Rob Schmitrz/NPR Europe is the world’s fastest warming continent with temperatures there increasing at twice the average global rate. That is melting Europe's glaciers, which may disappear by the end of

In a first, Kim Jong Un will attend a gathering of leaders with both Putin and Xi

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Aug. 12. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image and its content cannot be independently verified. Korean Central News Agency/Korea

Father of Minneapolis shooting victim speaks out. And, CDC announces new leadership

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories The names of the two children who were shot and killed on Wednesday at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis have been