As reported yesterday (August 8th) by AFP.com, an express train crashed Friday into a Czech road bridge which collapsed during construction seconds before the train's passage, killing seven people and injuring dozens, rescue services said.

The freak nature of the accident was underlined when rail investigators later revealed that the train had been running 10 minutes late as it approached the metal bridge near Studenka in the northwest of the country.

The locomotive and six passenger carriages came off the tracks and were left a mass of twisted metal. Emergency services arrived at the scene to find dead, injured, bags and train seats scattered everywhere.

Rescue services spokesman Lukas Himpl said 67 people had been treated for injuries, of whom 13 were very badly hurt. A Polish man and five Czech women were killed in the crash and a seventh person died later in hospital.

There were about 400 people on the train at the time, including a large group of Czech, Polish and Slovakian youths making their way to

IRON MAIDEN show at a Prague football stadium on Friday night.

"Our carriage was full of young people and we were having fun, then there was the crash, chaos. People were dying, they had no legs and arms. I am alive, I have been born again," one woman passenger told the CTK news agency.

A statement from Iron Maiden reads as follows:

"We are shocked and horrified at this news and wish to pass on our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died and our best hopes and prayers for the rapid recovery of the many injured. Apparently there were many Polish and Czech Maiden fans on board on the way to tonight's concert at the Slavia Football Stadium in Prague, which is why we were contacted and informed of this by the Polish media. I will be discussing with the band how best to pay our respects at the concert tonight, a concert we are dedicating to all of those involved in this horrific incident. The latest news from the BBC is copied below. We hope that you fans will join us in praying for all those involved.

Watch a video report below: