MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - A passenger train derailed in Russia's Urals region Tuesday injuring nine people, a spokesman for the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
"Three out of the nine injured have been taken to hospital," Viktor Beltsov said.
The accident in the Sverdlovsk Region took place about 20 km (about 12.5 miles) from the city of Yekaterinburg at 14:19 Moscow time [10:19 a.m. GMT], when nine cars were derailed.
Local police suggested major casualties had been avoided because the train was moving at a low speed.
"Serious consequences were probably averted because the train was moving at 57 km an hour (35.4 mph)," police press secretary Valery Gorelykh said.
He said several versions were being considered, including a breakage underneath one of the cars and damage to the track. He added transportation investigators would make a decision whether to open a criminal case after studying all the evidence.
Gorelykh said passengers had left the scene after additional bus services were launched between Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil, the train's destination.
