German rail crash kills at least 10

Fog hampers rescue efforts after head-on collision between commuter and freight trains in eastern Germany

German rescuers check a derailed commuter train that collided with a cargo train
Rescuers at the scene of the crash between a commuter train and a freight train near Hordorf in eastern Germany. Photograph: Peter Foerster/EPA

At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured in a head-on train crash in eastern Germany last night.

Police fear the death toll could rise following the collision between a commuter train and a freight train near the village of Hordorf, close to Saxony-Anhalt's state capital Magdeburg. Around 40 people were injured, some seriously, according to police reports.

The Harz Elbe Express was on its way from Magdeburg to Halberstadt when the accident happened. A spokesman for the privately-owned rail company Hex said that the train's driver and conductor were among the dead.

The accident happened just before 10.30pm local time when the commuter train, travelling on a single track at around 60mph, hit the cargo train, which was going at around 50mph. A police spokesman said the trains were travelling so fast that the passengers in the front carriage would have been killed instantly.

Rescue operations were still under way this morning, and investigators have not yet identified the cause of the collision, regional police spokesman Frank Kuessner said. "Rescue operations are still ongoing. The death toll may well rise further," he said. Almost 200 police and rescue workers were at the crash site, he added.

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