In brief

• A freight train derailed on the Reshety–Sedelnikovo section in Russia's Sverdlovsk region, with 20 cars leaving the rails.
• Seven tank cars caught fire at about 2:21 a.m. local time, and open flames were extinguished by 12:44.
• Emergency services used 316 people and 35 pieces of equipment, and residents were advised to stay indoors; the cause is still under investigation.

Derailment and fire on the Reshety–Sedelnikovo section

A freight train derailed on the Reshety–Sedelnikovo stretch of track in Sverdlovsk region in the early hours of 26 October. Twenty cars left the rails, and seven of them were tank cars that caught fire (Rusijos Sverdlovsko srityje nuo bėgių nuriedėjo 20 vagonų, užsidegė degalų cisternos – LRT) (Под Екатеринбургом сошел с рельсов грузовой поезд. Загорелись цистерны – Meduza). Regional emergency officials said the blaze started at about 2:21 a.m. local time (У Єкатеринбурзі РФ зійшли з рейок 39 вагонів і загорілися 7 цистерн – Українська правда).

Firefighting and recovery

Crews uncoupled the burning cars at about 4:47 a.m. and began moving 54 cars that were not on fire to a safe distance with a recovery train. Open flames were fully extinguished by 12:44 local time, officials said. A total of 316 people and 35 pieces of equipment were involved in the response. The fire covered an area of about 1,500 square metres.

Warnings for residents

Authorities advised residents of nearby homes to stay indoors, and to wear masks or respirators if they had to go outside. People were also asked to keep windows shut, clean wet floors more often, drink more fluids and rinse their eyes, nose and throat. The regional branch of the consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said it would test air quality for pollutants typical of this kind of fire.

What is not yet known

The emergency ministry did not report any injuries and did not say what the tank cars were carrying. The cause of the derailment is under investigation, and no official version has been put forward. Ukrainian and Lithuanian outlets reported the incident using the same figures, but did not add further detail on the cargo or the cause (20 railcars derail in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, fuel tank cars catch fire, media report – Ukrinform).

Earlier on the same night, drone attacks hit the Russian city of Voronezh, where fires broke out at several industrial sites. Reports have not linked the rail accident to those strikes, and officials have not said whether the two events are related.