Tiaan Esterhuizen, who was travelling on the train as he returned from holiday, attempted to rescue three women who were trapped in a burning passenger wagon. "I saw around 12 cars on their side and one was already burning. We heard some women screaming when we came closer' so a few of us climbed over the cars," he told the Times LIVE news site.
Rescuers rushed to the scene to search for survivors and treat the injured. Officials warned the toll could rise as operations continued to clear the crash site. The Shosholoza Meyl rail company, which operates long-distance trains in South Africa, said the train travelling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg collided with the truck at about 09:00 am (0700 GMT).