BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A passenger train crashed into the back of a freight train in the eastern Belgian municipality of Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse late on Sunday, killing three people and injuring 40, Belgian officials said.

“A train... carrying around 40 passengers crashed into the back of a freight train on the same track,” Belgian railways SNCB said in a statement. “The collision derailed two of the six carriages.”

Françis Dejon, the mayor of the Saint-Georges-Sur-Meuse district told Belga news agency three people were dead and 40 injured in the crash, according to a preliminary estimate.

Local emergency services and reinforcements from the nearest city of Liege were at the site of the crash.

The crash took place around one hour before midnight on Sunday, the Belgian railways statement said.