A road bridge in Russia has collapsed onto rail tracks. The debris of the bridge blocked the main rail line between Russia and Belarus. While the consequences for train traffic were initially unclear, traffic on the rail line resumed in about a day.
The Paninsky bridge in the Russian town of Vyazma collapsed onto rail tracks in the afternoon of Monday, 8 April. The bridge collapse killed one woman and injured five.
Vyazma is located about two hundred kilometres west of Moscow. The railway underneath the bridge is the main rail artery between Moscow and the Belarusian capital city, Minsk. Consequently, trains on the route, including China-EU trains, were affected by the blockage. While it was unclear when Russia would open the route again, they did so in approximately a day, after overnight repair works.
Videos show that the fallen debris of the bridge blocked and damaged the railway. Rail operator Moscow Railways quickly stated that it had dispatched four trains to help clean up the debris. According to the operator, no trains were present at the site when the bridge collapsed.
Disrepair
It is not clear why the bridge, built in 1980, collapsed. The quick removal of the debris and restoration of the railway suggests that the authorities did not consider an investigation to be necessary. Possibly, the railway’s military function superseded other considerations and prompted the quick overnight restoration.
Russian Telegram channels write that wear and tear of the structures, as well as moving soil as snow melts away, could have contributed to the incident. According to locals, the bridge was “not in the best state”.
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