2010-06-17 20:20

A passenger train lies wrecked next to freight cars after a collision in Peine June 17, 2010. A regional passenger train collided late Wednesday night with a derailed freight train between Hannover and Braunschweig, leaving 16 people injured. [Agencies]

BERLIN - Sixteen people were injured late Wednesday when a passenger train collided with a derailed freight train in northern Germany, police said on Thursday.

The accident happened around 11:30 pm (2130 GMT) near Peine, a town near Hanover in the state of Lower Saxony, on the line between Hanover and Braunschweig, a spokesman for the Federal Police said.

A regional passenger train carrying more than 60 people collided slammed into three cars of a freight train, which had derailed, seriously injuring the train driver and wounding 15 others with minor injuries, police said.

Eight of the injured have been sent to a local hospital, while the rest of them were treated at the site.

The speed of the regional train was not very high as it slowed down through several construction sites before the collision.

The reason for the collision was still under investigation, police said.

Relevant lines have been closed and are expected to reopen until next Monday. Long-haul trains will be rerouted while alternative options for commuters will also be available, German railway operator Deutsche Bahn said.