DHAKA: A high-speed TGV train has derailed near the eastern French city of Strasbourg, killing at least 10 people, officials say.

The crash happened during a test run in the town of Eckwersheim, on a new Paris-Strasbourg line, reports the BB.

The train was carrying 49 railway technicians when it derailed, caught fire, and plunged into a canal. Eleven people suffered serious injuries.

The derailment was due to "excessive speed", officials say.

Pictures showed the locomotive partly submerged. Wreckage was also scattered in a field beside the track.

Reports say the Paris-Strasbourg high-speed line is scheduled to open next year.

Junior transport minister Alain Vidalies and Ecology Minister Segolene Royal will visit the scene, French media reported.

BDST: 1033 HRS, NOV 15, 2015
RS