A British skier among survivors of a Norwegian train crash has told how he and seven friends dragged out passengers as flames engulfed their carriage.

Ben Stephenson, 30, was among a party of British skiers in their 20s and 30s who were inside the train travelling towards the city of Hamar when it collided with an oncoming locomotive.

At least seven people died in the collision with more still unaccounted for.

The Foreign Office confirmed on Tuesday night that eight british nationals were on board when the two passenger trains collided near the town of Lillehammer.

They had been on a New Year skiing trip and were on their way to Oslo for the return flight home on Thursday.

Among the british party were Fiona Donaldson and Richard Stephenson of Oxford, although the other six also have connections with Oxford either through work, or through studying at the university.

Of the eight, three were taken to hospital in Elverum suffering minor injuries; two were discharged on Tuesday night after treatment.

Mr Stephenson, from Chester, said he was faced with a race against time as fuel sprayed into the wreckage from a crumpled locomotive.

He said a number of passengers were obviously dead inside his group's carriage after the collision, but others were trapped behind seats and tables unable to escape.

Aided by villagers

"We were just sitting on the train when without warning there was an almighty bang and the train just rocked on to its side and burst into flames," he said.

"Inside the carriage there were those who were obviously not alive. But others were trapped by the wreckage and diesel was spraying all over the place.

"The fire was coming down the train very quickly and we needed to get people out before they were burned alive.

"We had to scramble out of the broken window on to the track where we were helped by local villagers."

Mr Stephenson said he and his friends, who all escaped serious injury, were approaching the end of a seven-day skiing trip over the New Year.

'Nothing left'

He and fellow survivors, most of whom lost their luggage in the fire, were taken to nearby homes where they were wrapped in blankets and given hot drinks.

"We have nothing at all left, everything was burned including our passports," he added.

The group has since been moved to a hotel near the crash scene.

The Foreign Office has sent a consular official to the scene to help with arrangements to bring the party back home. A spokesman said he hoped they would all be able to fly home later on Wednesday.