Train and bus crash in Australia

A train has collided with a bus in the southern Australian city of Adelaide, killing four people and injuring 12 others.

The accident happened at a busy level crossing in the northern suburb of Salisbury at about 1600 local time (0600 GMT).

Fire-fighters say the bus was packed with passengers when it was hit by a tourist train travelling from Adelaide to Alice Springs.

People were everywhere, a couple of people were lying on the actual track

Patrick Clancy, witness

Police said the bus had been carrying a number of students from Salisbury High School as well as other passengers.

Injured passengers, some in a serious condition, were taken to two hospitals in a fleet of ambulances. Others were treated at a makeshift clinic in a nearby pub.

Witnesses at the scene said a car had stalled on the rail crossing as the crossing gates were lowering. The train hit the vehicle, pushing it into the bus that was waiting at the crossing.

The driver of the car escaped the vehicle before it was hit.

"It happened really fast," one student told The Associated Press news agency. "There was a bang and a big hiss as the train tried to stop."

Another witness, 13-year-old Patrick Clancy said there was chaos.

"People were everywhere, a couple of people were lying on the actual track," he said.

"I counted 16 ambulances in and out. All you could hear was sirens, then a white van came to take away the bodies."

Bus sliced open

Australian television at first reported six people were dead, but Metropolitan Fire Service spokesman Bill Dwyer later confirmed four people had died.

Some of the injured remain in a serious condition.

Ambulance spokesman Lee Francis said all the dead and seriously injured had been on the city bus.

Television footage showed the front of the bus had been sliced off. Six train carriages had passed through the crossing.

Anthony Kirchner of Great Southern Railway, operator of the Ghan train which carries mostly tourists, said two of the train's 285 passengers suffered minor bumps to the head.

Mr Kirchner said the train was largely undamaged and following a safety check would be allowed to continue its journey to Alice Springs later on Thursday.

He said all the passengers had opted to continue their journey, but the train engineers may be replaced.