14 dead and over 100 injured in South Africa train crash

14 people dead and up to 100 injured when a train caught fire after colliding with a truck in South Africa

14 people have been killed and up to 100 injured when a train caught fire after colliding with a truck in South Africa, officials have said.

The passenger train crashing into the lorry and a car between Hennenman and Kroonstad in the country's Free State at about 9.15am local time (11.15am GMT) on Thursday.

four people were initially confirmed dead, but a few hours after emergency crew arrived they announced that 14 people had died.

"It is not yet confirmed but the death toll for now is sitting at 14," said Daisy Daniel, spokeswoman for long haul passenger rail service Shosholoza Meyl.

At least 100 people were injured, Russel Meirin, spokesman for emergency medical care organisation ER24, said.

"Provincial fire and medical services were the first to arrive on the scene, finding that several carriages were lying on the side," he added.

"A fire had broken out in one of the carriages and had begun to spread."

Around 850 passengers had been safely evacuated from the train, police said.

The driver of the truck tried to flee, but was arrested by police, passenger Seipati Moletsane told the privately owned eCNA news site.

 "I was so traumatised. I didn't know what to do. I was looking for a door just to jump out. Every door was locked... All of a sudden, we just saw smoke, smoke, smoke," Moletsane said.

Firemen rushed to the scene and battled the blaze on the train, which had been travelling from the coastal city of Port Elizabeth to the commercial capital, Johannesburg.