2 dead, 1 missing and dozens injured in northern Russia after a passenger train derailment

MOSCOW — (AP) — A passenger train derailment in northern Russia killed at least two people, and left one other person missing, a state-run railway company said Thursday.

The 14-carriage train derailed in Russia's northern republic of Komi on Wednesday night, Russian Railways said in a statement, with nine carriages coming off the tracks. Up to 50 people were injured, Russia's news agency Interfax reported, citing emergency officials.

The train, carrying 232 passengers, was headed to the southern city of Novorossiysk from Vorkuta, a coal mining town in the north of Komi, Russian Railways said. It said that heavy rainfall, which washed out parts of the track, was the likely cause of the derailment.

Russian Railways has promised to pay 2 million rubles (just under $22,900) to the families of each of those killed in the derailment on top of the 2.025 million-ruble (about $23,100) insurance payout they will get. The injured who were hospitalized will get 1 million rubles (about $11,400) each, and those who sought outpatient medical assistance will receive 500,000 rubles (about $5,700), the company said.

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