A police officer looks to a truck of the Finnish army after the collision with a passenger train in Raasepori, southern Finland, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. At least four people were killed in the crash. (Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva via AP) (Associated Press)
HELSINKI — A train collided with a military vehicle at an unguarded railroad crossing in southern Finland early Thursday, killing four people and injuring 11 others, officials said.
The crash happened near Raseborg, about 85 kilometers (53 miles) southwest of Helsinki. The fatalities were three soldiers and one passenger.
“Today I have received a heartbreaking message: Three conscripts have died in an accident in Raseborg,” Gen. Jarmo Lindberg, the head of Finland’s armed forces, said in a statement.
The cause of the crash was under investigation, local police chief Mats Sjoholm said.
“The crossing is unguarded, and the weather was bad due to snowfall,” Sjoholm told a news conference later Thursday.
A total of 11 people have been taken to nearby hospitals. There were no details on their injuries.
Finland’s defense minister, Jussi Niinisto, tweeted that “the morning had started with grim news” and “I feel grief.”
The military truck, a Finnish-made Sisu SA-150 transport vehicle, was carrying eight soldiers, who were taking part in a drill in the southern part of the Nordic country, military spokesman Jorgen Engroos told the news conference.