Truck driver killed, 35 hurt in TGV train collision

TOSSIAT (France): A TGV (high-speed train) collided with a truck on a level-crossing in eastern France, killing the truck driver and injuring 35 on the train, witnesses and officials said.

The Paris-Geneva train rammed into the truck at a crossing near the town of Tossiat at around 9:20 am, killing the driver and lightly injuring 34 rail passengers, they said on Wednesday.

The train driver was also injured in the crash, which occurred on a low-speed section of track as the train, carrying 160 passengers in total, gathered steam as it pulled out of Bourg-en-Bresse station.

Officials said the accident involved a massive truck, used for a one-off transport operation, which became stuck on a crossbeam and was unable to clear the crossing as the safety barrier came down.

The 50-year old driver had descended from the truck to try to lower the load but was killed instantly when the train hit.

The front of the TGV, which was travelling at around 100 kilometres an hour, was derailed by the impact.

The train's remaining 126 passengers were safely evacuated by around 100 police and firefighters, backed by two helicopters.

"The collision was violent. The roof was demolished," a woman passenger in her forties travelling in the front carriage said.

"The windows were broken, it was awful," said a New Zealender in his 60s who had been pulled out by rescuers.