Poison gas kills 12 on French train

One Briton is feared to have been killed when a cloud of poisonous fumes swept through an international express after a fire early today, killing at least 12 passengers as they slept.

Rail officials discovered the tragedy on the overnight Paris-Vienna express when they checked sleeping compartments after the blaze on the train as it pulled out of the French city of Nancy.

The victims - six men, five women and a child - were mainly foreign tourists and businessmen travelling in two sleeper cars hit by the fire, thought to have been caused by a fault in the heating system. The British embassy spokesman in Paris, Richard Morgan, said: "We are aware that there may be one Briton among the dead.

"Our consular officials are working closely with the local police and we expect more detailed information from the scene of the tragedy later today."

About 10 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out at about 2:15am local time.

Regional official Jean-Francois Cordet said Britons, as well as Americans, French and German nationals, were among those hurt. They were taken to a university hospital in Nancy.

Chief firefighter Jean-Louis Modere said most victims died of smoke inhalation, although he did not say exactly how many.

"We quickly realised the seriousness of the situation," he said. "The catastrophe was amplified by the fact that it was in a confined space. The fire was limited, and the amount of smoke very quickly became catastrophic."

Around 130 other passengers managed to escape from the train, which was operated by Germany's national rail company, Deutsche Bahn, and was on its way to Strasbourg on the Austrian border on the first leg of its journey.

They were led dazed and shocked to a hastily arranged shelter set up in a local gymnasium by council officials.

The alarm was raised by a conductor who made an emergency call after noticing that smoke was pouring from a carriage. The train was stopped just outside Nancy station and rescue workers were called in.

"They realised on opening the doors that there was a fire and a certain number of people were already dead," M Cordet said.

"Rescuers got to the scene at 2:22am and discovered the first sleeping car charred," he added. "Inside were 12 dead and nine injured."

M Cordet said police investigators were on the scene and a full examination of the 40-year-old express was under way.

The authorities sent a team of psychologists to help the survivors cope with the stress and trauma of the disaster.

Fatal train accidents are extremely rare in France, where the high-speed rail network is considered one of the best in the world.