Two trains collide to kill 10 in France

Two trains collided today in north-eastern France close to the border with Luxembourg, killing 10 people and injuring at least 20 others, authorities said.

The crash at Zoufftgen, in France about 12 miles south of the city of Luxembourg, involved a passenger train and a freight train colliding head-on, said a spokesman for French rail operator SNCF.

The passenger train was travelling from Luxembourg to the French city of Nancy, he said. The train track it was travelling on was being repaired, so it switched onto a second track, hitting the oncoming freight train, he added.

Nine of those killed were aboard the train while the 10th was on the tracks, said authorities for the Lorraine region of north-eastern France.

French prime minister Dominique de Villepin was heading to the scene with Transport Minister Dominique Perben.

The crash occurred just before midday.

More than 100 rescue workers were at or heading to the crash site to set up a mobile hospital and treat victims, a local fire chief told French television.