At least seven dead as train collides with bus in Slovakia

At least seven people were killed when a train from the Czech capital of Prague to the Hungarian capital of Budapest collided with a local bus at a level crossing in southern Slovakia.

The collision took place shortly after 5pm on Thursday near the town of Nove Zamky, located about 80km east of the capital Bratislava, Slovakian railway company ZSSK said.

Those killed were on the bus while the 200 people on the Eurocity train were safe, according to Slovakia's rescue service.

Five people who sustained injuries, including the drivers of the bus and the train, were taken to hospitals in nearby towns and cities because the local one was closed on Thursday because of flooding from heavy rain overnight.

The bus driver was admitted in a critical condition. A spokesperson for his Arriva bus company told local media that the driver had over 30 years of experience.

"I am afraid the number of people killed in this accident might grow," Petra Klimesova, a spokesperson for the rescue service, told AFP.

Video footage showed the engine of the train on fire and railway officials said the bus was badly damaged in the crash.

Katarina Molnarova, who was on the train, said she heard a crash and a bang just as they left Nove Zamky station. "After a couple of minutes we were able to get off," she told AFP. "We saw that the frontal part of the train was on fire.”

Slovakia's interior minister, Matus Sutai Estok, visited the scene of the accident. He said the dead weren’t immediately identified.

"Let this sad event be a reminder for all of us to pay attention to safety on the roads and at railroad crossings," he said in a post on social media.

The train track linking Bratislava with Budapest was to remain closed until at least 4am.

The stranded passengers aboard the stricken train were being transported by buses to the town of Sturovo on the Hungarian border, the railway service said.

The driver of the engine, a Czech national, escaped with light burns, said the Czech Railways, its owner.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash and authorities were investigating. The crossing is protected by gates.

Slovakia's president, Peter Pellegrini, who was in Brussels to attend a summit of European Union leaders, offered his condolences to relatives of the dead.

"I wish the injured a speedy recovery and thank the doctors and rescue teams for their work done," Mr Pellegrini said. "I wish that such catastrophes would spare Slovakia in the future."