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29 March 2024

Nine dead as train hits mini-bus in Poland

The remains of a mini-bus lie on railway tracks in Bratoszewice Poland on July 30. A collision between a mini-bus and a train on a level crossing killed eight people and left another two injured with a majority of the victims Ukrainian nationals, police said. (AFP)

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By AFP

A collision between a mini-bus and a train on a level crossing killed nine people and injured a tenth in Poland on Monday, with the victims likely all Ukrainian nationals, police said.

"Eight passengers on the bus were killed at the site of the accident. Two injured persons were taken to hospital and one succumbed to their injuries a few hours later," Joanna Kacka, police spokeswoman in Lodz, central Poland told AFP.

The tenth person, a 21-year-old Ukrainian woman, was being treated in hospital but "we're optimistic about the state of her health," Kacka said.

"We hope this is the final toll of the accident," she added.

The accident victims, including seven women and three men, are "likely all Ukrainian seasonal workers" commuting to a local food processing factory, Kacka said.

A Ukrainian consul was on the scene Monday, according to commercial TV broadcaster Polsat.

The accident happened at around 6:00 am (0400 GMT) in the central town of Bratoszewice when the mini-bus failed to stop at the railway crossing.

Investigators found no skid marks, suggesting there was no last-minute braking.

The six-seater Ford Transit mini-bus was also overloaded, carrying 10 people including the driver.

About 30 passengers on the commuter train escaped the crash unscathed.