At least one killed after train crashes into truck and derails at crossing as aerial vid shows horror wreckage

AT least one person has been killed after a train smashed into a semi-truck in Iowa.

Shocking images of the horror collision shows seventeen carriages crumpled up in a piled wreckage at a rural crossing.

The crash happened where the tracks intersected with a highway 70 miles east of state capital Des Moines.

Another victim has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries, Poweshiek County Sheriff Matt Maschmann said in a statement.

Seventeen train cars and two power engines derailed following the heavy impact.

The incident caused “significant damage” to the railroad infrastructure.

No hazardous material was spilled, according to Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Alex Dinkla.

Footage from the aftermath shows first responders lining the highway while authorities inspect the crash site.

It comes just days after four children were killed when a train collided with a school bus at a railroad intersection.

The bus was sent hurtling 50ft into the air after the driver “broke through” the crossing barrier.

The train was moving at 75mph when it hit the bus carrying seven children in Buggenhout, East Flanders at around 8.15am.

Four people died in the “violent crash” – two children aged 15 and 12, the driver, 49, and a 27-year-old chaperone.

Another five children were taken to hospital in critical condition, but were later reported to be stable.

The children were attending a school for Special Educational Needs (SEN), according to VRT News.

Police said the bus driver “broke through” the barrier at the level crossing when the red light was on.

Prosecution spokeswoman Lisa De Wilde said investigators are questioning witnesses and checking cameras nearby.

Frederic Sacre, a spokesman for Belgium’s Infrabel rail agency, said: “The impact was extremely violent.”

The cause of the tragedy remains unclear, as rescue and recovery teams comb the wreckage after the horror. 

The driver was “experienced” at his job, according to De Lijn, the organisation responsible for public bus networks in the region.

A spokesperson told Belgian outlet HLN that the 49-year-old “had been doing this work for a very long time and undoubtedly knew his route.”

He had also recently passed a medical check-up and the vehicle had no mechanical issues, they said.

CCTV footage showed the level crossing gates were shut and the train driver was desperately trying to slow down when the bus was struck.

The accident occurred just 1km from Buggenhout railway station.