One killed in overpass collapse in Russia (VIDEOS)
An overpass has collapsed in Russia’s Smolensk Region in the west of the country. At least two vehicles were driving across it at the time of the incident; six people were injured and one died, according to local emergency services.
The bridge, officially known as the Paninsky Overpass, is located in the town of Vyazma; it connects two neighborhoods separated by a railroad.
Footage from the scene circulating on social media appears to show several sections of the collapsed overpass; some of them have broken into several pieces. The vehicles, a car and a truck, were apparently sent flying into the air by a snapped section of the bridge.
The collapse, which occurred at around 5pm local time on Monday, blocked the railroad underneath, with its operator stating that several repair trains were dispatched to the scene to help remove the rubble. No rail traffic was passing under the bridge at the moment of the incident, it noted.
A natural gas pipeline running across the bridge was damaged as a result of the incident, according to media reports. The dented pipeline was left hanging in the air, footage from the scene shows.
It was not immediately clear what exactly caused the overpass to collapse. Russia’s Investigative Committee said it has opened a criminal probe into the incident; its experts are now working at the scene to determine its causes.
The woman who was inside the car at the moment the overpass collapsed was killed; the driver of the truck was hospitalized in critical condition, local emergency services told TASS.
Telegram channel Mash has circulated dashcam footage of the collapse, showing the bridge abruptly snapping and throwing at least two vehicles off.
At least six people were injured in the incident, with five of them, including a 14-year-old child, hospitalized, according to Smolensk Region emergency services.
