Freight train derails in southwest Russia due to ‘interference’, officials say

(Reuters) -A freight train derailed in the Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, due to outside interference with the operation of railway transport, but there were no casualties, a local branch of Russian Railways reported on Wednesday.

“Last night, 23:17 (2017 GMT on Tuesday) … due to interference with the operation of railway transport, a locomotive and wagons of a freight train derailed,” the South-Eastern Railway said on the Telegram messaging app.

“According to preliminary information, there are no casualties.”

The Railway did not provide further details.

The accident happened in the Novooskolsky district of the region of the Belgorod region, the Railway added. Novyi Oskol, a town which is the administrative centre of the district, is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said on the Telegram messaging app that a detour has been organised for passenger trains and that emergency crews were dispatched to the site. He did not say what caused the train to derail.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Blasts and attacks on the region’s infrastructure have become nearly a daily reality in recent months, with officials blaming either Ukrainian forces or pro-Ukrainian saboteurs.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Tom Hogue a Kim Coghill)