Rescuers work at the site of a train derailment near the village of Malaya Vishera, about 500 km northwest of Moscow, Aug. 14, 2007.(Xinhua Photo)

    MOSCOW, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Sixty people were injured when a passenger train traveling between Moscow and Russia's second largest city of St. Petersburg derailed late Monday, officials said on Tuesday.

    The incident occurred at 21:43 Moscow time (1743 GMT) near the town of Malaya Vishera in the northwestern region of Novgorod, Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman Viktor Beltsov was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

    Four of the 12 carriages of the high-speed Nevsky Express derailed, but they did not overturn.

    "Smoke began to billow, but the nidus of fire was promptly extinguished," Beltsov said.

    Sixty people sought medical assistance. Among them, 25 were rushed to hospitals in the city of Veliky Novgorod, a Russian Railways official said.

    No children were among the injured. Doctors said the injured people were in a "medium grave condition."

    No one died in the incident, according to preliminary reports said.

    Russian Railways said in a statement the incident in Novgorod region occurred "as a result of external impact," which caused 12 carriages and an electric locomotive to derail.

    The engine driver claimed he had heard a clap just before the incident.

    The rest of the passengers were transferred to another train, which left for St. Petersburg three hours after the incident.

    Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways, has cut short his trip to Siberia and flew to Novgorod. The company has appointed a commission to investigate the incident, and a crisis center was also set up.

Terrorist attack supposed to be cause of Russian train derailment

    MOSCOW, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A terrorist attack was supposed to be the cause of the derailment of a train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, which injured 60 passengers late on Monday, Russian news agencies reported on Tuesday.