MOSCOW (AP) — Officials in Moscow are vigorously dismissing terrorism as a possible cause of today’s subway derailment that killed at least 21 people. The accident sent 136 others to the hospital, many with serious injuries.
More than 1,100 people were evacuated from the train, which was stuck between two stations, in a rescue operation that ended more than 12 hours after the accident. One woman who was taken from the scene died in a Moscow hospital.
Officials initially blamed a power surge that they said had triggered an alarm, causing the train to stop abruptly. They now say that’s not the case — and they’re looking at other possible factors, including a defect in one of the cars or the sinking of the roadbed.
Survivors told Russian TV that they felt a sharp impact that knocked them off their feet and hurled them across the train cars.
The station near where the derailment occurred is the deepest one in Moscow — sitting 275 feet below the surface — making the rescue particularly difficult.
While technical glitches are regular occurrences in the Moscow Metro, the subway hasn’t seen deadly accidents in decades. Terrorism is another matter. More than 100 people have been killed in bombings on Moscow’s subway trains or near stations since 2000.
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158-c-17-(Jim Heintz, AP correspondent)-“investigate what’s happening”-AP correspondent Jim Heintz reports that the derailment is in a tunnel that’s far from the surface. (15 Jul 2014)
< 157-c-19-(Jim Heintz, AP correspondent)-“of terrorist act”-AP correspondent Jim Heintz reports that a subway train has derailed in Moscow, causing multiple deaths an injuries. (At latest count 21 had died and more than 150 were injured; watch for updates.) (15 Jul 2014) < APPHOTO XAZ106: Paramedics, a police officer and a volunteer carry an injured man out from a subway station after a rush-hour subway train derailment in Moscow on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. The derailment killed several people and injured more than 100, emergency officials said. Several cars left the track in the tunnel after a power surge triggered an alarm, which caused the train to stop abruptly. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) (15 Jul 2014) < Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.