1 killed in South Afrcia train collision

Two trains collided at a station east of Johannesburg, killing one and injuring several others, authorities said.

The collision caused one train to derail at Denver Station, according to the traffic department of Gauteng Province.

Department spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said the collision was between a Metroplus and business train.

Both trains were travelling from Pretoria to Johannesburg when the accident occurred.

"We do not know what happened at this stage, however, I can confirm that there are trains, one has hit the other from the back. There are people that are injured," she said.

Authorities were still to determine how many people were injured, said the spokesperson.

"We are prioritizing the people that are injured so that we can be able to understand what caused the train accident."

It remained unknown what caused the collision, Mofokeng said.

Some passengers were trapped in the carriages, witnesses said.

Mofokeng appealed to stranded commuters to be patient following the collision which has caused delays to train schedules.

Paramedics are currently on the scene working to free trapped passengers from the carriages.