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120 injured in Johannesburg train collision

Lillian Mofokeng said authorities were still gathering information about the collision.

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An injured passenger is helped to an ambulance at the Booysens train station near Johannesburg Friday July 17, 2015.

The crash took place close to Booysens station south of Johannesburg at about 18:30 local time (16:30 GMT).

Patients were found all over the scene with injuries ranging from minor to serious.

When paramedics arrived at the scene they found the woman and the man lying a few metres away from the vehicle. It is still unclear why the accident happened, so an investigation will be conducted to determine its cause.

The country’s commuter trains, used mainly by the black working class, are notoriously slow, overcrowded and risky.

Rail accidents are uncommon in South Africa, where tens of thousands of people depend on trains to commute to work, schools and other destinations.

Spokesperson for Metrorail, the operator of the railway, said about 150 people were injured. No fatalities were reported.

Officials at the site say one train rear-ended another.

This was the second train collision in Johannesburg in less than three months.

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“Apparently the two trains collided but this is still subject to investigation”, Mr Meiring said.

Emergency workers search the scene at yesterday's Johannesburg train crash