Eleven killed in train crash in northern Victoria, Australia

June 5, 2007

Eleven people have been killed, and more than 20 injured, when a passenger train and a  collided at a  on the  in northern Victoria, Australia. At least 13 more are still missing and are believed to be trapped in the wreckage.

The collision, which occurred at 1:40 p.m., was approximately 10 km north of the town of , on the.

The train involved in the accident was a service from, which departed at 1:00 p.m. from , and was destined for. The train was comprised of a locomotive and three carriages.

Witness reports say that the semi-trailer collided into the second of the three carriages, and then detached the third carriage from the remainder of the train and causing it to derail. The whole side of the second carriage was ripped open from the direct impact of the semi-trailer. The injured have been transferred from the scene to hospitals in the area, including Kerang and, by. and have been used to transfer patients to Melbourne, as local hospitals struggle with the sudden influx of patients. The driver of the semi-trailer has been moved to the hospital in Mildura in "critical condition", according to police at the scene.

The train had 39 people on board the 1:00 p.m. service, according to train documents. This included three staff employed by the train operator V/Line, who have all been accounted for and are not injured. Of the 36 passengers on the train, it has been reported that 23 have suffered injuries.

Reports say six people were airlifted to Melbourne for treatment, however one has since died. The remaining 17 have been moved to regional hospitals, including the temporary relief centre in Kerang, according to a spokesperson.

Although there are still 13 people unaccounted for, police say it is possible that some had bought tickets and were therefore listed on the train, but did not end up catching the service.

is expected to fly to the crash scene this evening. He has ordered a full investigation into the incident. Federal Minister for Transport has offered  assistance from the  to help with the investigation. The  has offered the Victorian government any additional aid that is requires in the aftermath of this incident.