Explosive … Firefighters stand in front of train that collided with a lorry in Freihung, east of Nuremberg, southern Germany.

A PASSENGER train has hit a heavy truck at a crossing in southern Germany, leaving several dead and injured.

Police say the truck stopped on the crossing before the collision late Thursday local time, which was followed by an explosion.

The collision occurred about 70km east of Nuremburg in Freihung in the state of Bavaria.

Many dead … Fire trucks and rescue helicopters surround the train.Source:AP

Photos from the site showed that the front of the regional train’s first car was blackened by fire and the windows of the cab blown out.

Police said one body had been recovered by early Friday morning, and rescuers were still looking for the train driver.

Two people are believed to have been in the truck, one of whom was able to get out.

Police said about 50 people were aboard the train, which was on a regional line.

The train collided with a Romanian tractor towing a US Army truck, FOCUS Online reports, citing local police.

Stuck at crossing … The military vehicle involved in the accident.Source:AP

“The train was racing at 100km per hour,” a police spokesman told FOCUS, describing the situation as “chaotic.”

Police could not immediately provide details on the number of casualties.

The train was heading from Nuremberg to the city of Weiden, 100km east of Nuremberg.

More to come