At least four people have been killed after a train collided with a military vehicle at a level crossing in southern Finland, police and military officials said.

The crash in Raseborg, about 53 miles south west of Helsinki, also left several people injured.

Police said four people were killed, including one train passenger, while a Finnish general said that three soldiers died.

"Today I have received a heartbreaking message: Three conscripts have died in an accident in Raseborg," Gen Jarmo Lindberg said.

The FNB news agency said that eight people injured in the crash have been taken to hospitals in Raseborg and in Helsinki.

Finland's defence minister Jussi Niinisto tweeted that Thursday "had started with grim news" and "I feel grief".

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