A woman was seriously injured on Tuesday when a train crashed into her SUV at the Atbara crossing in Bethlehem, Free State.

Police spokesperson Constable Puleng Lebakeng said, according to an eyewitness, a female driver of a BMW SUV was driving alone from the Morelig Suburb in Bethlehem facing Muller Street when the collision occurred.

"The driver of the BMW tried to accelerate, but failed to do so when her vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the train tracks which resulted in her car being hit by the train. She was rushed to hospital and the nature of her injuries are currently unknown. The cause of the accident is not yet known and the police are investigating case of reckless and negligent driving," said Lebakeng.

Police later established that she is 27-years-old.

ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said his colleagues and others from other medical response units, arrived at the scene and found theSUV lying against the front of the train on the tracks.

"The driver of the SUV was found outside the vehicle. The woman was assessed and found to have sustained several injuries. She was treated for her injuries and was provided with pain-relief medication before being transported to Mediclinic Hoogland for further treatment. 

"Fortunately, no-one from the train sustained any injuries. Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations," said Meiring.

In a separate incident in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, a Metrorail train caught fire after an explosion.

Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said the explosion was caused by high tension inside the train.

Mofokeng said no-one was injured by the blaze and the scene was later cleared to allow movement of other trains for afternoon peak.

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