Crucial bridge linking Crimea to Russia hit by huge explosion

TIL Desk/World/Kiev/ The Kerch bridge from Russia to Crimea, a hated symbol of the Kremlins occupation of the southern Ukrainian peninsula, was hit by a massive explosion on Saturday on the span that carries railway traffic.

Images from the bridge showed a fiercely burning fire engulfing at least two railway carriages from a train on the bridge, accompanied by a vast column of black smoke. The explosion, which witnesses said could be heard kilometres away, took place at around 6 a.m. on Saturday morning while a train was crossing the bridge, although it was not immediately clear what caused it.

Some images appeared to show a second fire at some distance from the main blaze. Later images also appeared to show part of road bridge that runs parallel with the train tracks had collapsed. The bridge is both highly symbolic to Russia and an important logistical supply route for Russian forces in Crimea and in southern Russian-occupied Ukraine.