A freight train in Bryansk, Russia, on the border with Ukraine, derailed for the second day in a row due to the detonation of an “explosive device” on the tracks, the local governor said on Tuesday, citing AFP.
“An unidentified explosive device exploded near the Sneetska station,” Bryansk Oblast Governor Oleksandr Bogomaz said a day after the derailment in the same region.
“As a result of the incident, a locomotive and several wagons derailed,” he added.
A freight train also derailed on Monday
An “explosive device” derailed and set fire to a freight train in Russia’s Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine on Monday, a rare incident that caused no casualties, authorities said.
Due to fears of sabotage and terrorist attacks in Russia, on Monday, a high-voltage power line was also damaged by an explosive device in the north-west of the Leningrad region.
The incidents came a day after a Ukrainian strike killed four people in a village in Bryansk region, and two days after a drone strike caused a massive fire at an oil depot in annexed Crimea.
On Monday, the governor of the Bryansk region, Oleksandr Bogomaz, reported on Telegram that “an unidentified explosive device went off, causing the freight train to derail.”
In a separate statement, Russian Railways said the incident occurred at 10:17 local time (07:17 GMT) between the towns of Unecha and Rassukha, about 60 kilometers north of the border with Ukraine, and that traffic was disrupted in that section.
According to the quoted source, the train’s locomotive and two tanks caught fire after the derailment, and the fire was brought under control by firefighters early in the afternoon. The company notes that, in addition to the locomotive, seven wagons derailed: four of them contained hydrocarbons, the others contained construction materials.
For its part, the Belarusian Railways reported late in the afternoon that this was one of its trains, which departed from the Belarusian city of Gomel and was headed for Bryansk.
According to the source, the explosive device exploded 50 meters from the train. Images released by several media outlets show a burning locomotive and cars near the tracks.
Strengthening legislation on sabotage
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday officially increasing the maximum penalty for treason to life in prison as part of efforts to crack down on dissent since the war in Ukraine began last year, Reuters reported.
Lawmakers also approved raising the maximum sentence for committing a “terrorist act,” defined as an act that endangers life and is aimed at destabilizing Russia, to 20 years from the current 15 years.
Those found guilty of sabotage could face 20 years in prison instead of 15, and those convicted of “international terrorism” could face life in prison instead of 12 years. The decree did not explain what “international terrorism” is.
Putin signed the new decree as rights groups say authorities are stepping up efforts to silence the few voices of opposition.
Source: Hot News
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