140 injured after passenger train derails in Russia

About 140 people were injured after nine passenger train cars derailed Monday following a collision with a truck in Russia's Volgograd region, reported Xinhua, quoting local authorities.

About 140 people received abrasions and bruises, Russian Railways said. Thirty people were hospitalized, including 12 children, the railway operator said.

The conditions of two people, the truck driver and a train passenger, have been assessed as serious, the regional administration said on its Telegram channel.

The accident happened at 12:35 p.m. (0935 GMT) after the train with over 830 people onboard collided with a truck that drove onto a railroad crossing, according to Russian Railways.

The train was traveling from the Russian cities of Kazan to Adler when the accident occurred. An evacuation was underway, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The local investigative bodies have launched a criminal investigation into the case, on the grounds of a violation of traffic safety rules and operation of railway transport.