50 injured in German train collision: police

BERLIN: Some 50 people were injured in a collision between a passenger train and a freight train near the German city of Duesseldorf on Tuesday evening, police told AFP.

The accident happened at around 7:30 pm (1830 GMT) in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany`s most populous region, state rail operator Deutsche Bahn said.

There was no immediate reason given for the crash.

"DB, the relevant authorities and the rescue services are working at the scene to provide urgent assistance to those affected and to clarify the situation," Deutsche Bahn said.

The regional express train carrying passengers is run by the privately-owned British operator National Express, while the cargo train is operated by DB Cargo, it added.

A National Express spokesman told Bild newspaper the train had around 100 passengers on board.

In May, seven people were lightly injured when a regional train derailed in eastern Germany.