BERLIN (Reuters) - Several people were injured in a train crash on Tuesday near the German city of Duesseldorf, fire department and police spokesmen said.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn said a passenger train of the regional provider National Express drove into a freight train from DB Cargo about 1830 GMT in the town of Meerbusch.

The Meerbusch fire department said up to 150 passengers were on the train and that 5 people suffered injuries.

A police spokesman earlier had told German broadcaster ARD that about 50 people had been injured in the train crash.

A German government spokesman said Chancellor Angela Merkel had been briefed on the situation.