PHOTO: Croatia Train Derails Near Resort, Six Dead

About 50 people were injured, a police spokeswoman in Split said. Some were led dazed from the scene, their clothes blood-stained.

Six people died when a Croatian passenger train derailed on Friday near the Adriatic city of Split in sweltering heat at the height of the summer holiday season, police said.

About 50 people were injured, a police spokeswoman in Split said. Some were led dazed from the scene, their clothes blood-stained. The train line is often used by holidaymakers.

State television quoted medical sources saying that 17 people were taken to Split hospital and two suffered life-threatening injuries. Nine foreigners were among the injured, state television said.

"It all happened so fast. I felt a hit and a sudden heat," one eyewitness was quoted as saying on the website www.index.hr.

The train, travelling from the capital Zagreb, derailed shortly after midday as it approached Split, an ancient port city whose core is built along the coast in the remains of Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace.

"We still don't know what will be the final number of casualties," police spokeswoman Marina Kraljevic Gudelj said by telephone after returning from the scene.

It is not clear what caused the accident. The train was carrying 91 passengers.

Tourism is an important hard-currency earner for the European Union candidate and generates about a fifth of its gross domestic product.

"I have the feeling that there were many young people in the train going to the coast for holidays," said Diana Putnik, a journalist who arrived at the scene after the accident.

"Young people with backpacks came out of the train in the state of shock."

Rough terrain was hampering rescue efforts.

"The rescue operation is very difficult as vehicles cannot access the site," said police spokeswoman Kraljevic Gudelj. "The site of the accident is a kilometre away from the main road."

She said all regional fire brigades as well as police and residents rushed to help rescue efforts.

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