Major railway accident in Russia: 20 cars derail, 7 cisterns catch fire

A major man-made accident occurred at night in Russia's Sverdlovsk region: 20 cars of a freight train derailed within the Yekaterinburg city district, resulting in a severe fire in 7 cisterns. The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) of Russia for the Sverdlovsk region officially reported this information.

According to the press service of the Sverdlovsk Railway, no casualties or deaths were reported as a result of the incident. Rescuers took emergency measures to prevent the fire from spreading to a wider area.

Details of the incident and the nighttime emergency

The accident occurred in an open area between the Reshyoty and Sedelnikovo railway stations:

• Time and scale of the incident: On October 26, 2026, at 02:21 local time, while the freight train was in motion, 20 cars derailed and flames engulfed 7 cisterns loaded with petroleum products or combustible materials;

• 54 cars moved to a safe location: Rescue teams and railway workers promptly managed to disconnect the burning cars from the rest of the train formation. As a result, 54 undamaged and unburned cars were evacuated to a safe distance;

• Causes under investigation: Currently, the exact causes of the disaster, the condition of the rails, or factors of technical malfunction are being investigated by experts and investigative bodies.

Extinguishing the fire: over 100 rescuers mobilized

Significant forces were deployed to contain the flames and prevent other cisterns from exploding:

• Personnel and equipment: A total of 106 personnel and 31 units of special equipment were involved in eliminating the consequences of the emergency and firefighting operations;

• MES units: 58 of them are representatives of the personnel of the Russian MES, who are fighting the flames with the help of 20 special fire engines;

• Restoration of traffic: Specialists stated that once the fire is completely extinguished, work to lift the derailed cars and repair the railway tracks will begin.