Train hits US veterans parade, four dead

A train crashed into a flatbed truck carrying veterans during a parade in the US state of Texas on Thursday, killing four people and injuring more than a dozen others, police said. The truck, part of a "Hunt for Heroes" parade held in the town of Midland, was carrying veterans and their wives when it was struck by the train. Police said five people remained hospitalized late Thursday, one in critical condition. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, currently on an official visit to Southeast Asia, was "deeply saddened by news of the tragic accident involving veterans, heroes and their spouses in Midland, Texas," the Pentagon said in a statement. "His thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, with those injured in this incident, and with the entire community."