At least 17 dead in Tunisia train crash

At least 17 people were killed and 70 injured when a passenger train hit a lorry south of the Tunisian capital on Tuesday, the transport and interior ministries said.

Most of the dead were passengers on the train, which derailed, the transport ministry said. Both drivers were also killed.

The interior ministry said the train was heading into the capital from the town of Gaafour, 120 kilometres (80 miles) to the southwest, in the morning rush hour.

The collision happened near El Fahes, some 60 kilometres from Tunis, at around 6:30 am (0530 GMT).

"The death toll could rise," the minister for transport, Mahmoud Ben Romdhane, told Mosaique FM radio.