Two passenger trains collided in eastern China early Monday, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds more, according to a state news agency.
The crash happened at 4:40 a.m. in Zibo, a city in the eastern province of Shandong. Ten carriages went off the rails into a ditch, according to the Xinhua news agency.
It's unclear exactly how many passengers were killed, but some reports put the deathtoll at 43. At least 247 people were hurt.
Liu Zhijun, who heads China's Ministry of Railways, was travelling to the scene to oversee rescue efforts, according to the Shandong government website.
Another train accident in Shandong last January involving maintenance workers killed 18 people.
With files from The Associated Press
