On the Reshety–Sedelnikovo section in the Sverdlovsk Region of Russia, 20 carriages of a freight train derailed and seven tankers caught fire. This was reported by the regional office of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The accident occurred during the night of 26 October. A further 54 carriages were uncoupled and moved to a safe distance. The Sverdlovsk Railway reported that freight train services on the section have been suspended; passenger trains do not operate there. Recovery and fire-fighting trains are working at the scene.
It is not yet known what the tankers were carrying or why the carriages derailed.
The regional office of the Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that it is investigating the causes and circumstances of the incident. The Central Interregional Transport Investigation Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is conducting an investigation.
Rospotrebnadzor is monitoring air quality in a residential area near the scene of the accident, reports E1.RU. Doctors are advising residents of houses near the fire to avoid going outside and opening windows where possible, and to wear masks and respirators when outdoors if necessary.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, there has been an increase in arson attacks on signal boxes, damage to tracks and explosions on Russian railways. The Russian Transport Police reported that between February 2022 and July 2024, it recorded more than 300 cases of unlawful interference with transport infrastructure. These included 278 cases of arson and damage to equipment, as well as 46 cases of explosives being detonated or planted.