5 killed, over 10 injured as truck collides with train in Hungary

BUDAPEST -- Five people were killed and over 10 injured after a truck collided with a small passenger train in southern Hungary early Tuesday morning, said police.

The accident occured at about 7:00 am local time (0500 GMT) when a small truck carrying workers drove into rail tracks and was hit by a small motor train en route from Szentes to Hodmezovasarhely.

"The train derailed from the force of the collision. Five of the passengers in the truck were killed in the crash. More than 10 were injured on the train and in the vehicle," police said.

The crash occurred in the inner area of the town of Mindszent in Hungary's Csongrad County, at a railway crossing.

"The light barrier at the crossing was working well, and the truck drove in front of the train despite the prohibiting signal," said the Hungarian railway company MAV.

According to MAV, there were 22 passengers in the train, two of them were seriously injured and eight suffered lighter injuries.

After the crash, police closed the affected road during the on-site inspection and rescue.