To South Africa, now, where police continue to investigate the cause of a collision between train and a truck in Freestate province that killed 18 people and injured more than 260. CGTN's reporter Beryl Ooro has more to tell.

Various investigations are underway after the deadly crash. Heavy-duty vehicles have been deployed on site, to escalate the search and recovery operations, with more bodies feared to be still trapped in the wreckage.

According to the Free State police, no one has yet been arrested in connection with the deadly train crash near Kroonstad. But detectives are taking statements from survivors. This type of case has to be laid to the public prosecutor to make a decision whether to prosecute or not.

At this stage the police can't take anyone into custody until such investigation are complete. The final tally of fatalities can't be confirmed yet.

BRIGADIER MOTANTSI MAKHELE FREE STATE POLICE SPOKESMAN "We have retrieved about 14 number of bodies but we can not certainly confirm it as an official number until we have finalized a forensic investigation in the matter which will entail comparison of DNA process with the families who are involved in this incident, and that will bring us to an official number of the bodies we have retrieved. We are still busy working underneath the carriages which are being lifted now to check if there are other remains which are there."

The passenger train, carrying people from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg after the holidays, slammed into a truck between the communities of Hennenman and Kroonstad, in Free State province, on Thursday morning.

Allegedly, the accident was caused by a truck passing the crossing-level, crashing into the train, which had already given an alarm of its approach. Beryl Ooro, CGTN.