12 killed in French train fire

Twelve people were killed and nine injured when a train heading for Austria caught fire as it was leaving a city in eastern France.

The fire broke out as the train to Vienna was leaving Nancy.

France Info radio reports that the victims were killed in their sleep by smoke inhalation.

Authorities initially said the blaze was caused by a heating system malfunction.

Those killed were six men, five women and one child. Their nationality is not immediately clear.

A train conductor alerted authorities at about 2.15am local time on Tuesday when he noticed smoke pouring from a wagon, officials say.

The train was stopped on a track outside Nancy station and firefighters intervened.

Fatal train accidents are extremely rare in France, whose high-speed rail network is a model for other countries.