A freight train carrying chlorine gas collided with a parked train in southeastern US stateof South Carolina early Thursday, killing two people and injuring at least 180 others, media reports said Thursday.

The collision happened about 2:30 a.m. EST (730 GMT) at Graniteville in the southern end of the state. Thirteen cars derailed.

More than 40 people remained in hospital, with 13 in critical conditions, authorities said. Most of the other injured were treated for respiratory ailments and released.

No one was on the parked train, according to a spokesman from Norfolk Southern, which owns the freight train.

Chlorine gas can damage the throat, nose and eyes and can be fatal. Those who were exposed were told to report to decontamination units and others in the area were told to stay inside their homes.

Source: Xinhua