The scene of the catastrophic accident occurred at 22h50 on 31.5 (local time) located near the village of Vygonichi, where a truck was moving on the bridge, at the same time a train running below when the bridge suddenly collapsed, swallowed both the car and the vehicle on the bridge.
Rescue work is being urgently deployed, while the official cause has not been announced. However, the Russian press quoted Bryansk health officials as saying the bridge may have collapsed due to an explosion, raising suspicions that this was a deliberate sabotage incident.
Telegram channel Baza - famous for its security sources - said that 44 people were injured and 4 died, of which the boat driver was confirmed to be one of the victims. A newborn baby is also being treated in critical condition.
Russian media quoted the Russian Railway Company as saying that the bridge collapse was the result of "illegal intervention in railway traffic activities".
The Moscow regional prosecutor's office has also released first images at the scene, showing the serious extent of the devastation with the warped train carriage and piles of crushed concrete.
Since 2022, many rail sabotage incidents have occurred in Russia, which Russia believes were recruited by Ukrainian agents or local people recruited by Kiev. Just last week, a train in the Belgorod region was damaged by bombs placed on the rails.
Bryansk Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz confirmed that rescue workers worked through the night to search for the stranded. Meanwhile, the specific casualties are still being updated, with figures from different sources ranging from 31 to more than 44 injured.
Russia has not yet officially accused anyone of being behind the incident, but initial signs suggest that this was not simply a traffic accident.
