2nd LD Writethru: 5 people injured in German train collision

FRANKFURT, Dec. 5 (Xinhua)-- Five people were injured in a train collision in a city close to Dusseldorf on Tuesday, local fire department said.

A regional passenger train with approximately 150 people on board collided with a freight train Tuesday evening in the western German city of Meerbusch, located about 10 kilometers northwest of Dusseldorf.

The injuries of the five wounded people were non-life threatening, the fire department said in a statement, adding that the torn-off overhead power wire made it difficult for the rescuers to get access to the train and the passengers inside.

The collision took place near the Meerbusch-Osterath railway station, where the passenger train rammed from behind into the freight train, which parked on the same track.

The regional passenger train RE7 operated on the track from Rheine to Krefeld. However, it remains unclear why the freight train parked on the same track.

Federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said via social media website that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was following the situation after the train crash in Meerbusch. Enditem