In Croatia, trains’ collision kills 3, injures 11

A passenger train and freight train collided Friday night in central Croatia, killing at least three people and injuring another 11 or more, authorities said.

The collision happened around 9:30 pm near the town of Novska, which is close to Croatia’s border with Bosnia, police said in a statement. “The impact was huge,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who rushed to the scene with other government officials.

Plenkovic confirmed that so far bodies of three people were found at the site of the accident, but he said more victims could still be found in the morning. The injured have been hospitalized, some with serious injuries but none in life-threatening condition, he added.

“It is night time, there is no light, we do not know at the moment if there are more victims,” said Plenkovic. The cause of the collision was not immediately clear. The passenger train was a local line carrying 13 people, while only the engine driver was in the freight train, said Plenkovic.

He said foreign citizens were among the injured. Officials said both trains were pushed off the rails after the collision. An investigation has been launched to determine what caused the collision.