At east 18 dead, scores injured as South Africa train collides with truck

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- At least 18 people were killed in South Africa's Free State province Thursday when a train collided with a truck, according to emergency officials.

Emergency rescue groups reported 268 people were injured in the crash, which happened between the towns of Hennenman and Kroonstad at about 9:15 a.m. local time.

Video footage of the crash shows a fire blazing through at least one carriage, near an overturned truck and car, and some of the evacuated passengers standing on the roadside with luggage.

Nathi Khena, the chief operations officer of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, said many people died because they were stuck in the burning carriage.

"It means is that they couldn't escape the train that had derailed and, as a result, they [were] then [burnt] to death and this is very tragic," Khena said, according to News24.

Mthuthuzeli Swartz, the acting CEO of PRASA, said "human error" was to blame for the deadly accident.

According to Sky News, witnesses said a truck driver towing two trailers failed to stop at a crossing and tried to beat the oncoming train.

"The truck driver was taking chances...that cost lots of lives," Maswanganyi said.

The train, operated by Shosholoza Meyl, was traveling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg.