Vereshchyovka train disaster
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| Vereshchyovka train disaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Date | January 24, 1944 4:00 |
| Location | Vereshchyovka, Oryol Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Cause | Bridge collapse due to poor construction and design |
| Statistics | |
| Deaths | 600+ |
The Vereshchyovka train disaster was a railway accident that occurred near Vereshchyovka in Oryol Oblast, Soviet Union on 24 January 1944. Sources estimate that over 600 people died in the wreck, making it the deadliest train disaster in Soviet and Russian history.[1]
In January 1944, the Soviet Union was in the midst of World War II, and the territory of Oryol Oblast had recently been recaptured from Nazi Germany. War damage had destroyed a lot of infrastructure in the area, especially the railways that were crucial to both the Soviets and the Germans. A section of the Moscow Railway near the village of Vereshchyovka (now located in Dyatkovsky District, Bryansk Oblast), around 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Bryansk, had been the target of Soviet partisans. Previously, the tracks had run along a solid embankment, under which a stream flowed through a reinforced concrete pipe. However, partisans had recently bombed the embankment, blocking the outlet and leading to the creation of a small lake over the route of the railway. Due to the wartime need for supplies and personnel, Soviet engineers hastily built a temporary wooden bridge rather than drain the lake, forcing trains to slow to five kilometres per hour (3 mph).[2] The section near Vereshchyovka would have seen heavy traffic to military and civilian trains.