At least 18 people died on monday (20 September) when the famed Orient Express crashed into a Yugoslav commuter train near Ljubljana.

SYNOPSIS: The Express was packed with tourists travelling from Istanbul in Turkey to Paris when it crashed into the commuter train in early morning fog. The victims, all believed to be Yugoslavs, included the drivers and co-drivers of both locomotives. The Yugoslav investigating magistrate told newsmen the Express had sped through a stop signal. This was supported by a statement from the Ljubljana Railway Company.

The Express was heading for Trieste and n across Italy to France. The local train was carrying commuters to Ljubljana. Fireman and rescue teams rushed to the scene of the accident to cut people from the wreckage. First reports suggested that the death toll would rise when the trains were finally moved from the blocked tracks.

Three of the injured passengers died on their way to hospital in Ljubljana. About 40 people were injured, with some in a critical condition. More than 200 people have bee killed in rail accidents in Yugoslavia during the last two years.