At least four people have been killed and 40 injured after a passenger train smashed into a truck at a rail crossing in South Africa.
Several carriages burst into flames when they derailed near Kroonstad, some 125 miles southwest of Johannesburg. Amazingly, some passengers walked away from the horrific scene carrying their luggage.
Photographs of the crash site between Hennenman and Kroonstad also showed power lines were damaged. A large vehicle, thought to be the truck, was shown upside down beside a train carriage that had crushed a car.
The Netcare 911 emergency medical service said: ‘Approximately 40 injured and 4 fatalities at the train crash in Kroonstad area.’
Black smoke poured from carriages lying on their side close to a road.
Some victims were treated at the scene while others were taken to hospital, local media reported, as uninjured passengers walked away from the wreckage, many carrying their luggage.
The New Year is a busy period for transport in South Africa, with railways and roads carrying passengers returning to work after the holidays.