A passenger train collided with a minibus at a railway level crossing in Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region on Saturday, killing six people aboard the minibus and injuring one. A local prosecutor said all the passengers were foreigners, but their nationalities have not been released.
According to Liberty Times, citing the Central News Agency in the early hours of Sunday, the crash took place at a level crossing in Russia's Far Eastern Jewish Autonomous Region. The minibus reportedly tried to cross while the signal was red and was struck by a passenger train heading toward Blagoveshchensk. Reuters, quoting an official of the Far Eastern railway authority, reported six dead and one injured.
광고 문의 · 300×250All of the casualties were people aboard the minibus. Passengers and crew on the train were reportedly unhurt. The injured person was taken to hospital, and rescue workers continued their work at the scene.
Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti, citing a local prosecutor, reported that all the minibus passengers were foreigners. Their nationalities and identities were not given, and this newspaper could not verify them. Speculation about nationality should wait for an official announcement.
What is confirmed and what is not
What several outlets report in common is six dead, one injured, the minibus entering the crossing, and no casualties on the train. A social media post claimed the driver ignored a stop signal and drove onto the tracks, but that is a personal post and not something authorities have confirmed. The exact sequence of events must await the investigation.
The precise time of the crash, the exact location of the crossing, the purpose of the minibus trip and the speed of the train are also not verifiable from the material made public so far. In Russia, prosecutors and railway authorities usually investigate rail accidents together, and further statements are expected.
A reminder about level crossings
Because trains need a long distance to brake, a collision at a level crossing tends to be devastating for those in the vehicle. The crash is another reminder of the basic rule to obey signals and stop before crossing.
The Jewish Autonomous Region faces China's Heilongjiang Province across the Amur River, and people and goods cross frequently. Whether the victims were Chinese has not been confirmed, and no statement from Chinese diplomatic authorities had appeared as of early Sunday. This newspaper will follow up as new facts are established.