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Eight dead after Rio train crash | Eight dead after Rio train crash |
(30 minutes later) | |
At least eight people have been killed and more than 80 injured after two trains collided in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, rescue services say. | |
The collision occurred about 200m from Austin station in the northern suburb of Nova Iguacu at 1600 (1900 GMT). | |
All passengers have been freed from the wreckage, but officials say the death toll could rise. | |
One train - empty apart from crew - was changing tracks at the time, said a spokesman for train company Supervia. | |
Joao Gouveia, Supervia operational director, said the driver of that train was unhurt in the incident. | |
But the driver of the other train - a passenger train that had departed from Rio's central station almost an hour earlier - was injured and sent to hospital, Mr Gouveia said. | |
The passenger train had left Rio's central station packed with at least 800 passengers, Mr Gouveia said. | |
The crash occurred when the passenger train, travelling at more than 80km/h (50mph) slammed into the empty train as it was slowly changing tracks. | |
Some passengers had to be released by rescue workers using blowtorches to cut through twisted metal. | |
Marcos de Souza, from Posse Hospital in Nova Iguacu, said more than 20 people injured in the crash had been taken to the hospital. | Marcos de Souza, from Posse Hospital in Nova Iguacu, said more than 20 people injured in the crash had been taken to the hospital. |