Russia crash: Six dead in train crash near Moscow

At least six people have died after a goods train hit a passenger train south-west of the Russian capital Moscow, officials say.

Carriages on the goods train were derailed in the crash, which happened at 12:38 (08:38 GMT) near Bekasovo 1 station, 60km (37 miles) from Moscow.

Injured people were reportedly carried from the train as emergency services rushed to the scene.

The passenger train was on its way from Moscow to Chisinau in Moldova.

Officials said five people had died at the scene and a sixth had died in hospital. Another 45 people were injured, 25 of whom were taken to hospital for treatment.

'Crushed'

Officials said several carriages on the goods train came off the rails near the town of Naro-Fominsk and hit the passenger train, which was reportedly carrying about 400 people.

Rescue coordinator Vadim Andronov told Russian news agency Itar-Tass that the death toll was likely to rise.

"One of the carriages of the passenger train was crushed by the goods train wagons," he said.

"Rescuers are working to pull out injured people being crushed by the wagon."

A spokesman for the health ministry, Oleg Salagay, said that rescue crews and medical teams were doing everything they could to save lives.

"Medics are working at the scene now, assessing the condition of the injured," he said.

"All the necessary medical aid is being provided for them, and this gives us hope for a successful outcome."

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.

"We tried to use an emergency brake. We couldn't see anything ahead, there was lots of dust," one of the drivers of the passenger train was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

Traffic on the line - which also serves Kiev in Ukraine - was suspended as a result.