Eight people have been injured after a passenger train collided with an electric locomotive at a railway station in western Ukraine.

The collision happened at Pidzamche station in Lviv on Thursday evening as a diesel train operating the Lviv–Sokal route was departing the station. Ukraine’s national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia confirmed the crash.

Five taken to hospital

Initial reports said the driver of the diesel train suffered a leg injury and four passengers required medical assistance.

The number of injured was later increased to eight, with five people taken to hospital and three others treated at the scene, according to the Lviv Regional Emergency Medical Care Centre.

The crew of the electric locomotive were not injured.

Driver trapped in cab

Emergency crews were called to the station following the collision.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said rescuers were working to free the diesel train driver after he became trapped inside the cab.

Ukraine’s emergency services later confirmed that a member of the train crew had been freed following the crash.

Images from the scene showed significant damage to the front of the passenger train as emergency workers attended.

Ukrzaliznytsia said railway specialists and emergency services were working at the scene and an investigation had been launched to establish how the collision happened.

The cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed.