Two trains collided in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region late Monday, with law enforcement officials saying one of the drivers involved in the crash was likely intoxicated.
“A medical screening showed the locomotive driver had alcohol in his bloodstream,” the transportation unit of Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement.
The law enforcement body said the driver is thought to have continued past a stop signal, thus causing the incident on Monday evening.
No injuries were reported in the collision.
The Investigative Committee said it was carrying out a preliminary probe into safety violations by “those responsible for the railway.”
A video published by police investigators showed several train cars tossed into the snow.
Astra, a news channel on the messaging app Telegram, said a preliminary investigation revealed that the locomotive driver had been drinking while operating the train.
It was not immediately possible to verify Astra’s claims.
