Two dead after German prepare, van collision

Two people have been killed in a collision between a regional train and a van in the region around Berlin.

A spokesman for the police in the state of Brandenburg that surrounds the German capital said that the dead were the occupants of the van.

According to the statement, the accident occurred at an ungated level crossing near the town of Grieben in Loewenberger Land area of the Oberhavel district at noon on Saturday.

The police are investigating the cause of the accident.

The train belonging to the private operator Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is said to have dragged the van about 100 metres after the collision.

Investigators were still in the process of identifying the two people who were killed.

The train driver and the four passengers were reportedly uninjured.

Officials put the damage to property at about 100,000 euros ($A153,700).

Last year in April, another serious collision occurred not far from the accident site on the same route.

That accident also occurred at an ungated level crossing.

In Klosterheide, a regional train between Ostprignitz and Ruppin collided with a van.

A 39-year-old driver was so seriously injured that he succumbed to his injuries in hospital a few days later.

In 2019, a collision involving a car and a train also occurred at the level crossing near Grieben.