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Six dead as French train hits school bus


    PARIS (Reuters) - Six people were killed when a train collided with a school bus in eastern France near the border with Switzerland, police said on Monday.

    Four people were seriously hurt and another 27 sufferedlighter injuries, police said, adding that the casualty tollcould rise.

    The accident occurred at around 2.00 p.m. (1:00 p.m.British time) when a regional train struck the bus at a levelcrossing near the town of Mesinges in the Haute Savoie area.

    National rail operator SNCF will launch an investigation todetermine the cause of the crash, a spokesman said.

    Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie was on her way tothe site, her office said.

    (Reporting by Laure Bretton and Christian Hartmann; writingby James Mackenzie; editing by Crispian Balmer)