At least 19 dead after train slams into broken down bus on level crossing

At least 19 people were killed when a train ploughed into a bus that had broken down on a level crossing. The victims were migrant workers from Uzbekistan who were heading back to their native country, according to the Uzbek foreign ministry.

Their white Mercedes bus came to a stop on the crossing in Pokrov, about 53 miles east of Moscow, and some people tried to push it out the way, Russian Railways said. Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said 19 people including a child had died, though Russia’s investigative committee said 16 had died. Shocking images from the scene show the scale of the damage to the bus, although there was no visible damage to the train.

No train passengers were injured and it was able to continue on its route hours later. But the bus was shunted several hundred metres down the track, Russia’s Rossiya 24 TV channel reported. Vladimir Myagkov, a spokesman for Russian Railways, told Rossiya 24: ‘The bus stalled on the track.

‘Some people say the passengers tried to push the bus off the track. At that moment the train approached and a collision occurred.’ Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said 58 people were on the bus – 56 from Uzebkistan and two Kazakh drivers.

Russia’s investigative committee said: ‘Other passengers, including minors, have been taken to hospital with various injuries. The number of dead and injured is being ascertained.’ The train was thought to be travelling at about 90kmh. The driver hit the brakes, but was unable to prevent the collision.