9 killed when train hits minibus in Poland

A train hit a minibus which didn't stop at an unguarded crossing in central Poland, killing nine of the 10 people aboard. Seven women and two men died in the early Monday accident at Bratoszewice, Lodz province, in central Poland, reported the Polish press agency PAP. The only survivor, a woman, was in serious condition at an area hospital. The passengers in the minibus were Ukrainians traveling for seasonal work picking fruit, police told news station TVN24. The fate and nationality of the driver was not reported. Passengers on the train, which was traveling from Lowicz to Lodz-Kaliska, were unhurt. The train was reported to be traveling between 30 and 40 kph -- 19 to 25 mph -- at the time of the collision. The vehicle was found about 30 meters -- 98 feet -- down the track from the crossing, the BBC reported. No tire marks were found at the scene, indicating the driver did not stop before the collision. A spokesman for the railway system said it was not known why the minibus driver did not stop at the crossing. Police said the van was equipped to hold only six passengers.