A rail line in Suffolk is expected to be closed for several days after a sewage lorry collided with the train at a crossing in the city.

According to Suffolk Police, one passenger on board the train is in serious but stable condition. The man, 58, sustained life-threatening abdominal injuries after a lorry driver ran into the oncoming train. Authorities said the 38-year old lorry driver is being held on suspicion of reckless driving.

Twenty-one other passengers also sustained injuries during the crash at Little Cornard. The train driver suffered a fractured vertebra. Rail replacement buses have been put in place for passengers.

The collision saw the lorry split open leaking slurry across the scene, while the head carriage on the train was derailed in the crash. Locals arrived at the scene helping bleeding and dazed passengers disembark from the train. According to nearby residents, the crash sounded like a bomb went off. Local authorities said that around 10 lorries cross at the crossing each day leaving a nearby sewage facility.

Network Rail said that the train involved in the collision is operated by National Express East Anglia. According to a spokesperson from the network, there were no calls received prior to the crash. A further three men and two women were placed in hospital overnight as a result of the crash with injuries including broken ribs, chest pain and heavy bruising.