Eight dead after Rio train crash

The collision occurred about 200m from Austin station in the northern suburb of Nova Iguacu at 1600 (1900 GMT).

All passengers have been freed from the wreckage, but officials say the death toll could rise.

One train - empty apart from crew - was changing tracks at the time, said a spokesman for train company Supervia.

Joao Gouveia, Supervia operational director, said the driver of that train was unhurt in the incident.

But the driver of the other train - a passenger train that had departed from Rio's central station almost an hour earlier - was injured and sent to hospital, Mr Gouveia said.

The passenger train had left Rio's central station packed with at least 800 passengers, Mr Gouveia said.

The crash occurred when the passenger train, travelling at more than 80km/h (50mph) slammed into the empty train as it was slowly changing tracks.

Some passengers had to be released by rescue workers using blowtorches to cut through twisted metal.

Marcos de Souza, from Posse Hospital in Nova Iguacu, said more than 20 people injured in the crash had been taken to the hospital.