Crimea bridge resumes traffic after fatal blast

Russian investigation continues into cause as consequences are examined

A bridge linking Crimea to the southern Krasnodar region of Russia reopened to car traffic late on Saturday after it was heavily damaged by an explosion, and a government committee was established to investigate the cause, officials said.

The railway service on the bridge had been fully restored and all scheduled trains, both for passengers and freight, would be able to cross the viaduct, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said late on Saturday.

Three people died in the explosion, and the owner of a truck involved had been identified, investigators said.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered a government committee to be set up to establish the cause of the explosion and deal with its consequences.

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

The arch over the navigable part of the bridge was undamaged, the committee said, and navigation across the Kerch Strait was not disrupted, the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport said.

Those who died in the explosion were likely to have been passengers of a car near the truck that exploded, investigators said. Bodies of two of the victims, a man and a woman, had been lifted out of the water.

Investigators said a resident of the Krasnodar region, whom it did not name, was the owner of the car.

Investigative actions have been launched at his place of residence, and the truck's route documentation was being studied.

On Sunday, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China has taken note of relevant reports.

The Kerch Strait ferry line, which connects the Crimean Peninsula and the Krasnodar region, has resumed cargo deliveries, the Russian Transport Ministry said.

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

Interfax-Ukraine news agency cited a source in Ukraine's law enforcement agencies as saying the explosion was a special operation carried out by Ukraine's security service.

Ukraine's reaction to the destruction of civilian infrastructure testified to its "terrorist nature", said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Security strengthened

On Saturday Putin ordered strengthened measures for protecting Kerch Strait transport.

Last week Russia reiterated that it must be part of investigations into leaks in the two Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea found late last month. Reuters has reported that a US Navy reconnaissance aircraft flew near the site of the ruptured Nord Stream 2 pipeline hours after damage appeared.

The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, which had flown from Iceland, performed a pattern of regular racetrack-shaped circuits over Poland before breaking away toward the Baltic pipeline area, according to flight data.

The identity of the aircraft could not immediately be established because of the type of rotating identification code sometimes used by such planes, but when Reuters showed the US data it confirmed it was a US aircraft.

Polish, Swedish, Danish and German ministries of defense were not immediately available for comment. However, Poland's Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said on Thursday that the pipeline burst was "most likely" the work of Russian special services, citing information from Western allies.

Russia has rejected any allegations of responsibility as "stupid", blaming the US and its allies instead.

Xinhua contributed to the story.

REN QI in Moscow

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn