Deaths, explosions reported as key bridge from Crimea to mainland Russia closed

News reports said local residents heard explosions before dawn, but there was no confirmation

The bridge carries both road and rail traffic and is an important supply artery for Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

Traffic on the key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland has been halted amid reports of explosions.

The health ministry in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which lies at the eastern end of the bridge, said two people were killed in an unspecified accident on the bridge and their daughter was injured.