WWII mine wounds two Russian rail workers

Two rail workers were wounded, one seriously, when a World War II landmine exploded at their feet beside a railway line in the northwestern Leningrad region, police said Monday.

A welder, 25, and an electrician, 34, were hospitalised on Friday evening after stumbling on the mine in woodland beside a railway line around 77 kilometres (48 miles) from Saint Petersburg, local police said.

The welder was in a serious state after suffering injuries to both of his feet while the electrician had an injured hand, police said.

Saint Petersburg, then named Leningrad, was besieged by the Nazis for almost 900 days between September 1941 and 1944, causing thousands of residents to die from hunger. The surrounding region was the scene of heavy fighting.