Tragedy struck in the early hours of Monday near Saint Petersburg, Russia, when a freight train collided with a tourist bus at a railway level crossing, leaving one person dead and 11 others injured.
The accident occurred around 03:00 GMT in the Leningrad region when the tourist bus reportedly stalled on the tracks. Despite efforts by the train driver to apply emergency brakes, the collision was unavoidable due to the short distance between the two vehicles.
Russia’s rail operator confirmed that the freight train was travelling at high speed at the time of the incident. While initial reports indicated 12 injuries, officials later confirmed that one of the injured victims had died, bringing the number of casualties to one dead and 11 injured.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and evacuated the injured passengers to nearby hospitals. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash, including whether the bus driver ignored traffic signals or made an illegal crossing.
The incident has once again raised concerns about road safety and compliance with railway crossing regulations in the region, where similar accidents have occurred in the past due to reckless driving and disregard for warning signals.
Officials are urging drivers to exercise extreme caution around level crossings and to obey all safety signs to prevent further tragedies.
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