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12 people hospitalized as passenger train goes off rails in Kazakhstan

ASTANA, April 20, /ITAR-TASS/. Twelve people were hospitalized as a passenger train Almaty-Atyrau went off rails in Kazakhstan, the press service of the Kazakh emergencies ministry said on Sunday.

“As many as 12 people were hospitalized, of whom six were taken to hospitals in the city of Atyrau and six more - to a hospital at the Makat station,” the press service said.

According to the Kazakh emergencies ministry, there were 586 passengers and 26 attendants were aboard the train, which had 19 cars, including 16 passenger cars. Thirteen cars went off rails.

The accident took place at 15:48 Moscow time on April 19 at a railway section between the stations Mukur and Zhaterek. The national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, or KTZh, railway traffic was resumed at 04:00 a.m. Moscow time on Sunday.

Kazakhstan’s chief transport prosecutor’s office opened a criminal case over the accident. An investigation is underway.

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