Belgian officials say at least three people have died and a further 40 people have been injured after a passenger train crashed in the country’s eastern town of Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse late.

Belgian railways operator SNCB said in a statement, the train crashed into the back of a freight train on the same track. “The collision derailed two of the six carriages.”

Françis Dejon, the mayor of the Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse district told Belga news agency three people were dead and 40 injured in the crash, according to a preliminary estimate. He added that the impact of the crash was “very violent”.

Local emergency services and reinforcements from the nearest city of Liege were at the site of the crash.

The crash took place around one hour before midnight on Sunday, local time.

– with other agencies