Seven dead and 70 injured after two Russian bridges collapse amid reports one was 'blown up'
Seven people have died and around 70 others reportedly injured following the collapse of two bridges in Russia close to the Ukraine border.
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One of the bridges was seen to collapse directly onto a railway line as a train passed below, resulting in its derailment close to the city of Bryansk, south west of Moscow.
The train crash left the driver dead, alongside six other passengers on board, with a further 66 others injured.
The train was said to be travelling from Moscow to Klimov at the time, with local authorities in the region blaming the collapse on what Moscow Railways labelled "illegal interference".
The derailment, which took place at 10.44pm local time (7.44pm GMT), saw plumes of smoke bellow into the air between Pilshino and Vygonichi stations.
Multiple trucks travelling over the bridge at the time fell onto the passenger train in the Vygonichsky district.
The victims are said to include three children. Three people remain in a serious condition in hospital - one of which is a child, according to Aleksandr Bogomaz, the regional governor, via Telegram.
The region's acting governor Alexander Bogomaz blamed the collapse on an initial "explosion", saying the bridge had been "blown up".
Hours later, a second bridge was seen to collapse in Russia's Kursk region as a freight train passed over it.
The train's driver was said to be injured in the crash after the train reportedly caught fire, acting governor Alexander Khinshtein said.
Khinshtein wrote on Telegram: "The cause of the bridge collapse will be established. All emergency services are working on the scene. I am keeping the situation under control."
Suggestions of foreign involvement by Russia come despite it remaining unclear whether the two collapses in neighbouring regions are related.
Ukraine is yet to comment on the incidents.