Bridge Collapses in Russia’s Smolensk Region, 1 Reported Dead

The Paninsky Bridge located in Vyazma, Russia’s Smolensk region which borders Belarus, collapsed at around 4 p.m. local time Monday, killing at least one.

According to local emergency services, a truck and a car were on the bridge at the time of the incident where a woman in the car died on the scene and the truck driver was gravely injured, as reported by RBC Russia.

Photos and videos of the aftermath are also circulating on social media, where the bridge’s structure could be seen exposed following the collapse. According to Russian news outlet Glavnaya Tema, locals said the collapsed bridge “was not in the best condition.”

There are also railway tracks beneath the bridge, but the Moscow Railway said no trains were present at the time of the incident, and multiple trains were dispatched to the location to help clear the debris.

Smolensk region governor Vasily Anokhin confirmed the incident took place on Telegram and said he was on his way to the scene of the incident.

The bridge was constructed in 1980 and connects the central part of the city with the Moskovsky, Yubileiny microdistricts and the village of Vyazma-Bryanskaya.

It’s not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but there has been a surge of utility infrastructure failures in Russia during the winter due to decades of disrepair, which can be attributed to prolonged government negligence and, in some cases, corruption.

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