Head of disaster management in the Free State Marcus Butler has confirmed that the death toll in Thursday morning’s train crash has risen to 14.

The train was travelling to Johannesburg from Port Elizabeth and collided with a truck between Hennenman and Kroonstad. The Shosholoza Meyl train derailed after colliding with a truck.

More people are still trapped in the train carriages and police are still on the scene retrieving bodies.

Survivors who spoke to the SABC claim that the train was overloaded and that some have lost their belongings as the train caught fire when it derailed.

Disaster management teams are at the scene assisting survivors with food and drinks.

 

Police are on the scene to investigate the cause of the collision. Provincial emergency services chief, Sipho Towa, says they have managed to bring the fire under control.

The train, believed to be the well-known Shosholoza Meyl holiday train.