Packed Polish commuter train derails

AFP - A passenger was killed and six gravely hurt in central Poland Friday when an inter-city train derailed for reasons that were not immediately clear, the country's prime minister said.

"We have confirmation that one person has perished," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told Poland's TVN24 news channel after visiting the scene late Friday. Earlier, medics had reported four casualties.

"Luckily the death toll is not as high as we had originally thought," Tusk said, adding that six people were seriously injured in the disaster which occurred near the town of Baby.

Rescue workers warned the death toll may rise when an overturned train carriage is set upright.

"We hope that no more victims will be found in the wagon where the casualty was discovered," Tusk said.

Firefighters at the scene said 56 passengers were being treated for injuries in hospital.

"We heard a huge noise. The first wagon was completely destroyed, windows smashed and its sides smashed. People remained calm -- many were in shock -- and rescue crews arrived rapidly," passenger Marcin Chlebowski told Poland's TVN24.

About 280 passengers were believed aboard the train travelling from the capital Warsaw to the southern city of Katowice, Polish PKP railways spokesman Lukasz Kurpiewski told TVN24.

Investigations were underway to establish the cause of the derailment.