The truck is heavily damaged after the accident. — Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ TĨNH — A cargo train collided with a stalled truck in the central province of Hà Tĩnh on Saturday, causing the train to derail and paralysing the country's vital North-South railway line.

The accident occurred around 8.30 am in Đức Liên Commune, Vũ Quang District when a truck broke down at a crossing intersecting the railway tracks, local authorities reported.

The truck driver managed to exit the vehicle moments before the SH62 freight train struck the stranded truck.

Three train carriages derail, paralysing the North-South railway line. — Photo tienphong.vn

The force of the collision severely damaged the truck, mangling its front end and splitting its body in two, while three train carriages derailed and several metres of track were displaced.

The train driver sustained minor injuries and the crash brought rail traffic along the North-South railway line to a standstill.

Police and railway workers were deployed to the scene to clear the wreckage and investigate the cause of the accident. — VNS