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| Belgium train crash leaves three dead and dozens injured | Belgium train crash leaves three dead and dozens injured |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A passenger train travelling at high speed has crashed into the back of a freight train in the eastern Belgian municipality of Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse, killing three people and injuring dozens. | A passenger train travelling at high speed has crashed into the back of a freight train in the eastern Belgian municipality of Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse, killing three people and injuring dozens. |
| “A train... carrying around 40 passengers crashed into the back of a freight train on the same track,” Belgian railways SNCB said in a statement. “The collision derailed two of the six carriages.” | “A train... carrying around 40 passengers crashed into the back of a freight train on the same track,” Belgian railways SNCB said in a statement. “The collision derailed two of the six carriages.” |
| Françis Dejon, the mayor of the Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse district told Belga news agency three people were dead and 40 injured in the crash, according to a preliminary estimate. He said the impact of the crash was “very violent”. | Françis Dejon, the mayor of the Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse district told Belga news agency three people were dead and 40 injured in the crash, according to a preliminary estimate. He said the impact of the crash was “very violent”. |
| The accident occurred on the line linking Namur and Liege in the east of the country. | The accident occurred on the line linking Namur and Liege in the east of the country. |
| Local emergency services and reinforcements from Liege were at the site of the crash. | Local emergency services and reinforcements from Liege were at the site of the crash. |
| Frederic Sacre, spokesman for Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel, said the crash took place when the passenger train was travelling at high speed. | Frederic Sacre, spokesman for Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel, said the crash took place when the passenger train was travelling at high speed. |
| RTL broadcasting said the passenger train carrying about 40 people had been traveling at 55mph (90kph) when it hit the freight train shortly after 11pm. | |
| The front carriage was completely turned on its side, witnesses said, and several passengers had to be extracted from the wreckage. | The front carriage was completely turned on its side, witnesses said, and several passengers had to be extracted from the wreckage. |
| The crash took place around one hour before midnight on Sunday, the Belgian railways statement said. | The crash took place around one hour before midnight on Sunday, the Belgian railways statement said. |
| The circumstances of the accident were not immediately clear, with questions remaining over whether the passenger train was able to brake before the crash. | The circumstances of the accident were not immediately clear, with questions remaining over whether the passenger train was able to brake before the crash. |
| “The priority is to care for the victims,” Infrabel and SNCB said, but added that information was already being analysed to determine how the crash took place. | “The priority is to care for the victims,” Infrabel and SNCB said, but added that information was already being analysed to determine how the crash took place. |
| A crisis centre was set up at the scene of the accident. | A crisis centre was set up at the scene of the accident. |
| By 2am, all passengers had been freed from the wrecked cars, RTL said. Some of the survivors were taken to a nearby abbey. Others were reportedly transported to a local sports center, where they were being offered psychological counselling. | |
| Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report | Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report |