At least eight people died and 40 got injured in a collision between two trains in Rio de Janeiro's metropolitan region on Thursday afternoon.

A passenger train, whose final destination was Japeri, collided with another train, which did not take passengers. The accident happened near Austin station, in the municipality of Nova Iguacu, at 4:09 p.m. (local time).

According to the Fire Brigade, several victims are still trapped in the trains' wreckage. The injured are being taken to Hospital da Posse, in the local community, and other public hospitals in the metro region were under alert in order to receive patients, in case of transferences.

Neurosurgeons and orthopedists, among other surgeons, were drafted to help in the assistance to the wounded. Sixty firefighters from units in municipalities in the metro region and in Rio's state capital are also working in the accident's spot, along with the Civil Defense and the Railway Police, with the aid of a helicopter.

The tragedy took place in the region's rush hour, when thousands of citizens use the railway to return to their homes from work.

Supervia, the company that operates Rio's metropolitan railway system, did not confirm the information that the trains' conductors were among the fatal casualties.