At least eight people have been killed and scores injured after a packed passenger train derailed south of Paris this evening.

The high speed intercity train was travelling from the French capital to the city of Limoges when it derailed onto its side in a train station in the suburb of Bretigny-sur-Orge at about 3.15pm GMT.

The accident has left eight people dead, with the victims being crushed to death or electrocuted.

Rescue workers are now desperately battling to free passengers still trapped inside the train.

Accident: At least eight people have been killed and scores injured after a packed passenger train derailed south of Paris this evening

Awful: The high speed intercity train derailed onto its side in a train station in the suburb of Bretigny-sur-Orge. This picture shows an injured man being dragged from the mangled wreckage

Mayor of Bretigny, Bernard Decaux, said: ‘Three carriages are entangled with each other in front of the station, with another one lying a little further to the south.

‘I have no idea of how many casualties but it may be very high. It is apocalyptic.’

Jean-Paul Boulet, from France’s national railway, said the train was carrying 350 passengers when it derailed at 3.15pm GMT and crashed into the station at Bretigny-sur-Orge, 20 kilometers south of Paris. This resulted in four carriages piling up.

A police spokesman added: ‘The train arrived at the station at high speed. It split into two for a reason still unknown and one part of the train kept going while another fell onto its side.’

France’s transport minister is heading to the site.

Read more: Daily Mail