3 die in Crimean Bridge explosion

MOSCOW - Three people died in the explosion on the Crimean Bridge, which occurred Saturday morning, according to preliminary information from Russia's investigative committee into the incident.

Traffic is suspended on both the railway and road parts of the Crimean Bridge after a freight train caught fire while traveling on the viaduct over the Kerch Strait.

"A truck coming from the Taman Peninsula exploded on the road part of the Crimean Bridge at 6:07 am (0307 GMT) today, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Two spans of the road bridge partially collapsed," Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to form a government committee to establish the causes of the incident and quickly address its consequences.

The arch over the navigable part of the bridge was not damaged, the committee said. What's more, navigation across the Kerch Strait was not disrupted by the incident, according to Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport.

The Kerch Strait ferry line, which connects the Crimean Peninsula and south Russia's Krasnodar region, has resumed operation to deliver cargoes, the Russian Transport Ministry said.

Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to the head of Crimea, said there's enough fuel and food on the peninsula and all logistics plans have been worked out.

The incident on the Crimean Bridge was a special operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the Interfax-Ukraine news agency cited its source in Ukraine's law enforcement agencies as saying. The SSU hasn't commented on the incident yet.

Kiev's reaction to the destruction of civilian infrastructure testifies to its "terrorist nature," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.

The 19-km bridge consists of two parallel routes for automobiles and trains.