A passenger train from Luxembourg collided with a goods train in north-eastern France on Wednesday, killing about 12 people, state SNCF railways said.
”About 10 passengers have died as well as the two drivers of the trains,” SNCF said in a statement. Several other passengers were believed to be injured.
Rail officials said the trains were travelling in opposite directions on the same stretch of track because of maintenance work on an adjoining line.
The passenger train was heading from Luxembourg to the French city of Nancy and slammed into the goods train at about 11.45am local time near the station of Zoufftgen, in the French department of Moselle.
A spokesperson for Luxembourg police said some carriages from the crashed passenger train were still on the Luxembourg side of the border.
”We have been closing streets and roads in the area around the site of the accident. We have also brought in traffic police to take charge of any ambulances if they come into Luxembourg,” said spokesperson Vic Reuter.
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was flying to the French Caribbean when news of the accident broke. He has decided to turn back to France to allow him to visit the scene of the crash, his office said. — Reuters