Six dead, 60 injured in Taiwan train accident

At least six people were killed and 60 others injured today when a train carrying Chinese tourists was hit by a falling tree at a popular mountain spot in central Taiwan, officials said.

At least six people were killed and 60 others injured on Wednesday when a train carrying Chinese tourists was hit by a falling tree at a popular mountain spot in central Taiwan, officials said.

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The sightseeing train was travelling along Mount Ali when the tree trunk caused four carriages to derail and overturn, said an official at the forestry bureau, which supervises the area.

Twenty-two people were seriously injured, according to the bureau.

"We are saddened by the accident, and the cause is being investigated," President Ma Ying-jeou told reporters.

Many of the passengers were believed to be tourists from China but it was not immediately clear if Chinese nationals were among those killed and injured, a local fire department official said.

TV footage showed one of the carriages upside down, as it had apparently dropped several metres (yards) from a small bridge in the densely forested region.

Injured passengers were airlifted by helicopter out of the area, which is otherwise only accessible via winding mountain roads, according to TV.

Other injured passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, the official said.