[WATCH] France: at least four children killed as train and school bus collide

A train ploughed into a school bus at a crossing in the south of France, resulting in the death of at least four children. A further 20 children were injured, nine of them critically.

Most of the victims, according to reports, were aged between 13 and 17.

Images from the scene showed the bus cut in half in what authorities described as a “serious rail accident”, with helicopters taking the injured to hospital.

The school but was 20km west of Perpignan, in the Pyrenees-Orientales, heading towards the village of Villefranche-de-Conflent, when it was struck. It was carrying students from the Christian Bourquin secondary school at Millas, heading home to the villages of Saint Feliu d’Amont and Saint Feliu d’Avall.

Robert Olive, mayor of Saint Feliu d’Amont described it as a “horrific sight.”

“I don’t know what happened but the school but had actually been cut in two by the passing train,” said Olive to the local radio France Bleu Roussillon.

“The bus appeared to have exploded,” he added.

After travelling to Perpignan and meeting the victims’ families, the French prime minister Edouard Philippe described the accident as a “terrible drama.”

“The circumstances have not yet been determined and will be the subject of a legal inquiry to throw light on the circumstances of the drama,” he said.

According to Philippe, 24 people were involved in the collision. Four died, 11 were in critical condition and another nine who were injured. He also added that the severity of the crash made it a challenge to identify some of the victims.

“The priority at this stage is to give precise information to the families who are living through a period of anguish that we must make as short as possible. The communication of this precise information relates to the identification of those who have died or been injured. This process has begun, but it is extremely difficult,” said Philippe.

According to reports, the school bus driver was a 48-year-old woman who was seriously injured.

Emmanuel Macron, French president, also tweeted his condolences, writing: “My thoughts go out to the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus and their families. The state is doing everything in its power to support the rescue operation,” wrote Macron.

Toutes mes pensées pour les victimes de ce terrible accident d’un bus scolaire et pour leurs familles. La mobilisation de l’État est totale pour leur porter secours.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 14, 2017

The accident took place at an automatic crossing on a two-lane country road as the bus crossed a single-track railway line secured by a striped barrier, with warning lights in each direction.

A spokeswoman for France’s national rail company, SNCF, said the train was running at 80km/h (50mph) at the time of the accident, and 25 people were on board. Three of those were slightly injured.

“The railway crossing was a normal one, well equipped and lit up. Several witnesses have confirmed that the barriers were down, so they were working, but all this will be the subject of an inquiry,” she added.

About 95 firefighters, 10 rescue vehicles and four helicopters as well as emergency medics were dispatched to the scene.

Carole Delga, the president of the Occitaine regional authority, confirmed that the vehicle involved was a school bus taking children home.

The collision happened at around 4.30pm on Thursday. Witnesses travelling on the train told the local newspaper L’Indépendant they had felt a “very violent impact”.

“We thought the train was going to come off the rails and turn over,” one passenger named Barbara told the newspaper. “Afterwards there were helicopters mobilised to take away the injured.”

SNCF sent a “sincere message of support” to the families of those involved.

“Given the severity of the accident, the Pyrénées-Orientales prefect has decided to activate the departmental operational centre so the actions of different (emergency) services can be coordinated. The emergency services and the gendarmerie are at the scene,” the statement said.

It said further information would be released when available.