Eight killed as two trains collide near Rio
Source: Reuters
(Updates with lower death toll, rescue operations completed) RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - At least eight people were killed and some 70 injured when a train packed with homeward-bound commuters rammed into another train on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. A spokeswoman for the mayor's office of Nova Iguacu, a suburb of Rio, said earlier that 11 people had died in the accident. "Thank God, the number turned out to be lower. There are eight dead bodies that were removed from the wreckage, and no more passengers are trapped inside," she said. A fire brigade spokesman said 15 people were hospitalized in serious condition. Rescue operations had ended but dozens of firefighters were still trying to remove damaged carriages. GloboNews television showed footage of the wreckage with one carriage lying on its side. One of the trains was switching between tracks and the other rammed into the end of the train, said Supervia operations director, Joao Gouveia. He estimated around 800 people were on the passenger train but said the second train was empty except for the crew.
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