Finland train crash: Four dead and eight injured during military exercise in Raseborg

Authorities said three soldiers and one train passenger died in crash involving military vehicle at rail crossing

Rescue personnel and the damaged wreckage of a military truck are seen at a rail crossing near Raseborg in Finland (Reuters)

A train collided with a military vehicle at a railroad crossing in southern Finland early Thursday, killing at least four people, police and military officials said.

The crash in Raseborg, about 85 kilometers (53 miles) southwest of Helsinki, also left several people injured.

Police said four people were killed, including one train passenger. A Finnish general said that three soldiers died.

"Today I have received a heartbreaking message: Three conscripts have died in an accident in Raseborg," Gen. Jarmo Lindberg said in a statement.

The FNB news agency says that eight other people who have been injured in the crash have been taken to hospitals in Raseborg and in Helsinki.

Finland's defense minister, Jussi Niinisto, tweeted that Thursday "had started with grim news" and "I feel grief."

AP