Freight Train Collides with Tourist Bus Near St. Petersburg: 1 Dead, 16 Injured in Morning Crash

A freight train collided with a tourist bus at a railway crossing northeast of St. Petersburg early on Monday, resulting in one fatality and 16 injuries, according to authorities.

The incident took place at approximately 6 a.m. local time in the Lodeynopolsky District of the Leningrad region, as reported by October Railway, the regional rail service provider.

“The train operator initiated emergency braking, but the stopping distance was inadequate and the collision was unavoidable,” the railway stated in a report.

According to police, the train struck the back of the bus, which was transporting a group of religious travelers on their way to the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, a 15th-century Orthodox site situated just south of the republic of Karelia.

Russia’s Interior Ministry announced that it has launched a criminal investigation into potential breaches of traffic safety and vehicle operation regulations.