At least four children have been killed and seven people seriously injured after a train crashed into a school bus at a level crossing in southern France.
The bus was struck by the train in Millas about 18 kilometres west of the city of Perpignan, close to the Spanish border.
All local emergency services were mobilised and a crisis coordination unit was set up to deal with the major incident.
Television images showed a long line of ambulances and other emergency service vehicles near the crossing where the collision occurred, with the bus cut in half, highlighting the ferocity of the impact.
Officials said the train was travelling west from Perpignan to the town of Villefranche de Conflent when the crash happened.
The bus, which was carrying mainly secondary school students, was struck in the rear, officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "All my thoughts for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families. The state is fully mobilised to help them."
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne are on their way to the scene from a meeting in the south-central city of Cahors.
"It's a terrible event," said Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, expressing "profound sadness".
VIDEO #Millas Violent #accident entre un car scolaire et un #train dans les Pyrénées-Orientales. Le car est coupé en deux. pic.twitter.com/5PV9tVcSj9
— France Bleu Roussillon (@bleuroussillon) December 14, 2017
The reasons for the crash are not yet known, officials said.
A spokeswoman from state-owned rail operator SNCF said the train was travelling at 80km/h at the time of the incident and 25 people were on board. Three of those were slightly injured.
There were 16 people onboard the bus.
