Emergency teams working at site of train crash in Belgorod region

At least 200 rescuers and 30 vehicles are involved in emergency works at the site of a train crash near the Russian central city of Belgorod, the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s regional department told TASS on Friday.

"Fire-fighting brigades, an ambulance, emergency medical workers, police officers, top officials of the Prokhorovka district, an air-mobile team and psychologists are working at the crash site," the department said. "A total of 198 people and 30 vehicles, including 113 people and 18 vehicles of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, have been engaged."

The incident took place at 13:25pm, Moscow time on Friday at a railway crossing of the Prokhorovka-Belinikhino haul of the South-Eastern railways when the driver of a KAMAZ truck, disregarding the alarm signal, drove the vehicle into the rail crossing ahead of the approaching train en route from Moscow to Belgorod, which resulted in the collision.

Investigators say the first locomotive derailed and overturned but the second locomotive and the following four carriages did not capsize while derailing. Three contact-line masts were damaged and the adjacent track was also hit. The train movement has been temporarily suspended.

Eleven people are reported to be injured, three out of them have been hospitalized.