Subway derailment kills several in Moscow
MOSCOW – A subway train derailed Tuesday deep below Moscow’s streets, twisting and mangling crowded rail cars at the height of the morning rush hour. At least 21 people were killed, Russian officials said, and 136 more were hospitalized, many with serious injuries.
The Russian capital’s airports and transit systems have been a prime target for terrorists over the past two decades, but multiple officials vigorously dismissed terrorism as a possible cause.
It was unclear what caused the train to derail. Lines of inquiry included a fault in one of the cars or the sinking of the roadbed, according to Vladimir Markin, spokesman for Russia’s top investigative body. He said other officials who said earlier that a power surge triggered an alarm, causing the train to stop abruptly, were incorrect.
Of the 136 people hospitalized, at least 42 were in grave condition, health officials said. One citizen of China and one citizen of Tajikistan were among those killed, Russian news agencies quoted city officials as saying.
Kerry says Iran talks have ‘real gaps’
VIENNA – The fate of a possible landmark nuclear deal with Iran sank further into limbo Tuesday, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry noting “very real gaps” ahead of Sunday’s target date for a deal meant to put firm curbs on Tehran’s atomic program.
Kerry, who joined the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany on the weekend to add diplomatic muscle to the talks, said the negotiations would continue until at least Sunday. In the meantime, he said, he would consult with President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress on where the talks are if no pact is agreed on by then.
“There has been tangible progress on key issues,” Kerry told reporters. “However, there are very real gaps on other key issues.”
Associated Press
