Story highlights
- Investigators say that faulty work on a section of track led to the derailment
- A maintenance foreman and his assistant have been arrested, authorities say
- The rush hour derailment killed 22 people and injured 160 others
- Three metro train cars derailed in a tunnel
Two people have been arrested in connection with a metro train derailment in Moscow which left more than 20 people dead and injured scores more, Russia's Investigative Committee said Wednesday.
The pair held on suspicion of violating transport safety rules are a maintenance foreman, Valery Bashkatov, and his assistant, Yury Gordov, a statement on the committee's website said.
The men were involved in overseeing recent work on a rail junction switch on a section of track between Park Pobedy and Slavyansky Bulvar stations, the committee said.
"Investigators believe that the works themselves were conducted improperly," the statement said. Cable used in the works broke, leading to the derailment, it said.
Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Moscow train derailment – Paramedics and firefighters carry an injured man after a metro train derailed in Moscow on Tuesday, July 15. It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment, which took place during morning rush hour in the Russian capital.
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Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Moscow train derailment – The accident occurred between the Park Pobedy and Slavyansky Boulevard metro stations.
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Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Moscow train derailment – Rescuers work at the site of the accident on July 15. The rescue operation had become a recovery operation by the afternoon as emergency workers sought to free the remaining bodies from within the mangled train cars.
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Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Moscow train derailment – One of the injured passengers makes a call after being rescued and treated by paramedics.
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Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Moscow train derailment – Dozens of ambulances arrived at the scene, along with three helicopters, to help shuttle the injured to hospitals, according to the state-run ITAR-Tass news agency.
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Photos: Photos: Moscow train derailment
Moscow train derailment – Police officers and rescuers crowd near an entrance to the Park Pobedy metro station.
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Several dead in Moscow train derailment 02:39
The two suspects have been questioned and the authorities intend to charge them soon, the committee said. Meanwhile, investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances of the derailment and others involved in the works.
"The Investigative Committee intends to establish and bring to justice all those involved into this tragedy, from performers to top officials who had to supervise and ensure the full requirements of the transport safety rules of the Moscow Metro," the statement said.
At least 23 people were killed when three metro train cars derailed in the tunnel during Tuesday's morning rush hour, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said.
Another 160 were injured, of whom more than 120 were hospitalized, according to the Moscow health care department. Of those, a few dozen were in critical condition.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Wednesday would be a day of mourning.
The head of Moscow's Transportation Department said Tuesday the derailment was not the result of a terrorist attack. However, a criminal investigation was launched into what was behind the crash.
The metro system -- the backbone of the city's public transit network -- carries roughly 11 million people daily.
