My grandfather killed 86 people, and no one knows the truth.

Many years ago, when my grandfather was 30 years old, my father was only 4. My grandfather worked on the Soviet Union’s railway system, controlling train traffic. I don’t know his exact job title, so I may not be describing it correctly.

One day, while he was working alone, he became distracted and made a mistake that caused two trains to collide head-on. The crash killed 86 people. After the accident, senior officials came to investigate what had happened. My grandfather told them it wasn’t his fault and claimed the collision had been caused by a technical failure. Because he had worked there for many years and was considered a trusted, high-ranking employee, they believed him.

From that day on, he was consumed by guilt and fear. Over time, his health deteriorated, and he eventually became bedridden. Shortly before he died, he confessed the truth to my grandmother. Three days later, he passed away.

About 50 years later, just a few months ago, my grandmother also became bedridden. During her final moments, she told my father what my grandfather had confessed to her all those years ago. Later that same evening, she passed away as well.

As far as I know, almost nobody knows the real cause of that tragedy. I simply wanted the truth to be known.