A cat has died in Russia after being thrown off a train in freezing temperatures by a conductor who has faced calls to be sacked and potentially prosecuted.
The state-owned railway company RZhD has apologised to the owners of Twix, the ginger-and-white cat who was dumped into the snow in Kirov on 11 January.
“We sincerely regret that the cat Twix died,” it said, vowing to change its regulations.
The female train conductor reportedly mistook the male cat, which had escaped from its travel crate, for a stray.
Twix’s disappearance led hundreds of volunteers to search the railway station area in Kirov, where temperatures as low as -30C had been reported.
The cat was eventually found dead on Saturday, and later identified by its owners.
There have been calls to sack and potentially prosecute the conductor for her actions, with separate petitions demanding each.
Nearly 70,000 people have now signed the petition calling for a criminal investigation to be opened against her, after local authorities refused to do so.
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One of Twix’s owners told state media he intended to pursue the matter through the courts.
