Train crash kills 5 people in Colorado

Five people, including three children, have been killed in the US State of Colorado after their van collided with an Amtrak train, police say.

The incident happened on Sunday morning, when a Chrysler vehicle was struck by the train near Trinidad, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement.

Investigators believe failing to yield to the train is the main factor behind the five deaths.

The van’s driver and three of its six passengers were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash while the fifth passenger died at a hospital.

Colorado police also said that a 4-year-old girl who had sustained serious injuries was flown to a nearby children’s hospital as the only survivor.

The identities of the passengers were not immediately released as police were still investigating the cause of the accident and had to notify the families of the victims first.

According to an Amtrak spokesman, more than 280 passengers were on board the train at the time of the crash but no one was injured.

The Southwest Chief train, which travels between Chicago and Los Angeles, was damaged and crews had to make repairs before it could travel again at around 5 p.m.