Three killed and nine injured in Belgian rail crash

Three people have been killed and nine injured in a train crash in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse near Liège.

Local newspaper L'Avenir said the passenger train travelling between Mouscron and Liers, with about 40 people on board, collided with a freight train on the same track at about 23.00 on Sunday.

Belgian rail infrastructure operator Infrabel said a locomotive and one of the six carriages derailed and some passengers had to be freed from the wreckage.

Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse mayor Francis Dejon said the goods train was not carrying any dangerous substances. He said the collision was "very violent".

Firefighters from all over Liège province attended the scene. The nearby Abbaye de Flône was turned into an emergency centre to treat passengers.

Buses replace trains today between Flemalle-Haute and Huy and some long-distance IC trains have been cancelled or rerouted.