The injured have been taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries but none in a life-threatening condition. The force of the impact was enormous, said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who rushed to the scene of the accident with other government officials.
"We regret the terrible tragedy caused by the train collision near Novska, and I express my condolences to the families of the victims. I would like to thank all the services that provided help and took care of all the injured. The investigation will determine all the circumstances of this train accident," wrote Croatian PM on his Twitter account.
A Red Cross official told the Croatian HINA news agency that eight foreign nationals were among the injured, most likely migrants. The cause of the accident isn't clear yet, but according to SRF 4 News agency investigators said there was evidence that the driver may have ignored a stop signal.