A freight train travelling from Nam Định to Hà Nội derailed on Monday morning, bringing the North-South railway to a standstill. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Đạt

NAM ĐỊNH — Traffic on the North-South railway route has been at a standstill since Monday morning when a freight train derailed on a stretch in the northern province of Nam Định.

Witnesses reported that the train was travelling from Nam Định to Hà Nội and was involved in the accident at about 9am when it passed a crossing leading to Mỹ Hưng Commune’s People’s Committee in Mỹ Lộc District.

Some carriages derailed and one carriage was flipped over.

Phạm Thị Hà, a witness told Vietnam News Agency that the train was travelling at a normal speed and did not collide with any obstacle when the accident occurred.

The derailment destroyed 600m of track.

No casualties were reported.

Hundreds of workers and machines have been mobilised to the scene to repair the line and resume the operation of the route as soon as possible.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

According to the Railway Department of the transport ministry, at least four derailments have been reported on the North-South railway route since the beginning of this year. — VNS