Thirteen people were injured on Friday, four of them seriously, in a collision between a freight train and a passenger train as early indications were that a red signal was violated in a tunnel in Belgrade, Transport Minister Goran Vesic said.

“Thirteen people required medical treatment, including the driver, conductor and two passengers — all four were taken to an emergency centre,” Mr Vesic said.

The “nine passengers were able to return to their homes” as they were not seriously injured, according to the minister, who a little earlier spoke of nine injured.

“We were lucky. We didn’t have any casualties, that’s the most important thing,” added Mr. Vesic at the scene, about 4 kilometers from the center of Belgrade, near the Pančevo bridge.

“Twenty-five firefighters with seven vehicles responded to the scene as emergency teams were unable to reach the scene of the collision,” the minister told state broadcaster RTS.

According to Minister Vesic, the passenger train fell “in the middle of the tunnel” onto the stationary freight train.