Belgium Halle Passenger Train Crash Kills Many

The mayor of Halle told Belgian media that at least 20 people had been killed in the crash, but railway officials could not confirm the figure. Photo by rail-be.net

Two passenger trains in Belgium have collided head-on near the capital, Brussels, with the latest reports of the death toll ranging from 10 to 25.

Railway officials said the two trains collided during the morning rush hour at Halle, south-west of Brussels, the BBC reported.

Television pictures showed carriages pushed up at an angle or leaning to the side from the force of the crash.

Witnesses said people were thrown around violently inside the trains with one passenger describing the "carriages compacted together" by the collision.

The national railway said 25 people had died. Other officials said there had been at least 10 deaths.

Belgian media said the trains collided in snowy conditions.

Railway services in the area, including the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels, have been blocked.