Railroad Bridge Linking Murmansk To Rest Of Russia Partially Collapses - Authorities

Railroad Bridge Linking Murmansk to Rest of Russia Partially Collapses - Authorities

An above-water part of the railway bridge connecting the Russian Arctic city of Murmansk with the rest of the country collapsed on Monday afternoon due to a supporting pillar being washed out, a spokesperson for the local department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry told reporters

MURMANSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2020) An above-water part of the railway bridge connecting the Russian Arctic city of Murmansk with the rest of the country collapsed on Monday afternoon due to a supporting pillar being washed out, a spokesperson for the local department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry told reporters.

On Saturday, the Murmansk bridge's support pillar was washed out due to the intense melting of snow and high water in the Kola River.

"On Monday ... the washed out backup abutment broke down and as a result, the above-water part of the bridge collapsed. Thanks to the coordinated work of the representatives of the Murmansk department of the Ministry of Emergencies, Russian Railways company and other structures, it was possible to correctly assess the risks and avoid victims. There have been no injuries among recovery team workers," the spokesperson said.

The railroad bridge is closed for traffic, and passengers are being transferred by buses.