1 dead, dozens injured as train collides with truck in Japan's Yokohama

One man has been confirmed dead and dozens of people were injured after a train collided with a truck in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Thursday, causing sections of the train to derail.

Public broadcaster NHK has said that police and fire department officials have released few details on what may have led up to the crash, and details on the deceased are still pending.

According to rescue officials, however, more than 30 people were injured in the collision that occurred at around 11:40 a.m. local time on a crossing on the Keikyu Line between Kanagawa-Shimmachi and Nakakido stations, in Yokohama.

The collision caused a number of carriages of the train to derail and the truck to burst into flames, rescue officials said.

Thick black plumes of smoke were seen rising from the wreckage and police said the driver of the truck, a 67-year-old male, was pinned under the train and suffered serious injuries after impact, following his vehicle possibly becoming stranded on the crossing, according to initial police reports.

A female passenger in her 20s was also seriously hurt, according to police reports.

The train was heading south from Aoto station to Misakiguchi station when the collision occurred.

The train's operator has suspended services near Yokohama's waterfront, between Keikyu Kawasaki station and Kamiooka station.

Railway accident investigators will be sent to the site of the collision, the Japan Transport Safety Board said and a liaison office has been set up by the government at the prime minister's office to coordinate the response to the accident.