A cat has died in Russia after being thrown from a train by its conductor.

The ginger and white cat, Twix, was travelling with its owners when it escaped from its crate and a female member of staff threw it from the carriage, according to local media reports.

She is believed to have mistaken it for a stray.

“We sincerely regret that the cat Twix died,” state-owned rail operator RZD said in a statement.

After the incident on 11 January in Kirov, western Russia, Twix’s owners raised the alarm, sparking a Telegram channel to co-ordinate a search party of hundreds of volunteers.

They scoured the area in temperatures of -30C (-22F) and eventually found Twix’s body.

A petition, signed by more than 70,000 people, is now calling for the train conductor to face criminal charges. Local authorities have not yet opened a case.

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