Eight people have been found dead and about 240 treated for respiratory and other ailments one day after a freight train carrying chlorine gas collided with a parked train in southeastern US state of South Carolina, authorities said Friday.

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

The eight people killed appeared to have died from inhaling the chlorine gas, which can damage the throat, nose and eyes and can be fatal, authorities said. Seven were residents of the town, and the eighth was the moving train's engineer.

No one was on the parked train.

More than 5,000 residents living near the site had been evacuated on Thursday. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2005)