Recovered phosphorus train crosses border with Russia

KIEV, July 28 (RIA Novosti) - A train, 15 of whose tanker cars carrying yellow phosphorus overturned in Western Ukraine Monday catching fire and releasing pollution, has crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border, a spokesman for the Ukrainian railways administration said Saturday.

The accident occurred when the freight train traveling from the Central Asian country to Poland derailed outside Lvov, near the Polish border. Several cars caught fire, sending poisonous fumes over a large area.

"The train crossed the border at 10:42 Moscow time [6:42 a.m. GMT] and is now moving across the Russian territory," the spokesman said.

Official reports said 49 people, including 15 children, were harmed by the fumes and 14 populated areas with a total of 11,000 residents were affected. During the cleanup operation, 18 emergency workers were also poisoned. Some 800 people were evacuated from the area.

The train will go to Kazakhstan via Russia. A spokesman for Russia's rail monopoly, Russian Railways, earlier said all required safety measures would be taken to escort the train along the route, bypassing populated areas in Russia.