At Least Eight Killed in Belgium Train Crash

P E C R O T, Belgium, March 27, 2001 -- A crowded commuter train slammed head oninto an empty locomotive in central Belgium today, killing atleast eight people and seriously injuring at least eight.

The death toll was expected to rise as workers cut into thecarriages that were turned into a pile of twisted metal. Newsreports put the death toll as high as 12.

One of the trains was empty and the other was crowded withrush-hour passengers when they collided near the village of Pecrot,said Leen Uyterhoeven, spokeswoman for the national SNCB-NMBS railcompany.

"I saw a black cloud of smoke rise up, the train was rockingback and forward, tottering," said Ameile Jassont, whose homestands next to the track. "It all happened so fast."

The accident occurred at 8:45 a.m. about 16 miles east ofBrussels on the line between the university towns of Leuven andLouvain-la-Neuve.

The injured with ferried to several local hospitals. Uyterhoevensaid at least eight were seriously hurt.

Two hours after the crash, rescue workers where still trying tocut into carriages. The four carriages of the southbound passengertrain were crushed on impact. The empty train ended up on top ofone passenger car.

Uyterhoeven said the empty train apparently ended up on thewrong track. The driver of the empty train was killed in the crash.Local media reports cited witnesses who said the signals on a levelcrossing appeared to have malfunctioned ahead of the collision.

Uyterhoeven said the passenger train normally carries about 80passengers.

A crisis center was set up in the nearby town of Wavre.