RUSSIA:  
Passenger and freight trains collide in north west Russia

A passenger train and a

photo: Reuters

freight train collided near St Petersburg today (26 January 2000) killing one person and injuring 14 more.

The person who was killed is understood to have been an assistant driver on one of the trains. Reports from Russia indicate that the injured were train crew.

There are no details about the cause of the accident although a commercial TV station has speculated that severe cold weather may have caused an equipment malfunction.

Web sources:

Russia-crash Moscow
Yahoo 26 Jan 2000

Nearly 60 Feared Trapped In Russian Train Crash
Russia Today 26 Jan 2000

One dead, 14 injured in Russian train crash
Yahoo 26 Jan 2000