Orthodox priest performs surgical operations on those injured in a train collision near Moscow

May 2014

Priests of Naro-Fominsk and Moscow are helping those injured as a result of the train collision which happened near Naro-Fominsk on May 20.

“A schedule of shift watching in the hospitals was worked out so that a priest might stay with patients all the time. They watch six hours each. There is no shortage of medicines or donor blood. Material assistance will probably be needed later,” related chairman of the Department for Social Ministry of the Moscow region’s Diocese Archpriest Dimitry Olovyannikov.

According to him, most of the injured people are Moldavian residents who were travelling to Moscow in search of wage jobs, reports press service of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry.

“One of our priests is a practicing surgeon. First two injured people were brought to him and he performed operations on them himself,” said Archpriest.

Some injured passengers have already expressed their desire to confess, take Communion, and be anointed.

Representatives of all parishes of the Naro-Fominsk Deanery are taking part in watching at the hospitals.

The crash happened in the Naro-Fominsk district of the Moscow region between the “Bekasovo” and “Nara” railway stations. One of carriages of the passenger train, which was going from Moscow to Kishinev (Chisinau), was tangentially scraped against by a freight train from the next railway track. As a result of the collision 50 survivors sought medical attention, 24 were taken to hospitals. Six passengers, Moldavian citizens, were killed.

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