At least 6 killed in Russia train accident

A collision between a cargo train and a passenger train near Moscow killed at least six people on Tuesday and left up to 45 others injured, Russian officials said.

The Interior Ministry said the accident happened when several cars on a cargo train derailed and hit a passenger train moving on a parallel track near Naro-Fominsk, a town 50 kilometres southwest of Moscow.

Officials issued contradictory claims about the cause of the accident.

Footage from the crash site broadcast by Russian television showed one side of a passenger car torn away by the collision.

Nina Suslonova, the Moscow region’s health care Minister, told the Rossiya 24 channel that five people were confirmed dead at the site. Dmitry Pestov, a deputy head of the Moscow region’s government, later said that another person died at a hospital, the Interfax reported.

Those who were injured were all in the same car.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said 45 people were injured and 25 of them were hospitalised. It said 15 were in grave condition.

The passenger train had been travelling from Moscow to Chisinau, Moldova.