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Sino-Kazakh border train collision affects international cargo trains

Xinhua, May 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Five international cargo trains are stranded at the Alataw Pass in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region following a train crash in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

Two freight trains collided and caught fire near the Sino-Kazakh border on Thursday morning, derailing 18 carriages and damaging 150 meters of track. No casualties have been reported.

According to Urumqi Customs, a large quantity of iron ore and coke have poured out of the trains. Five trains, four connecting China to Kazakhstan, and one linking China to Poland, are waiting at Alataw Pass, and many others have had been cancelled.

Workers with Kazakhstan's national railway company have been clearing the site and repairing the damaged rails. Chinese rail authorities have sent staff to join the rescue upon invitation from Kazakhstan.

As the gateway to major trading partner, the Alataw Pass is a major border crossing point for railways, roads and an oil pipeline. Endi