PARIS – Three migrants have died in southwest France after being hit by a train while they were lying on the tracks, a police spokesperson said on Tuesday.

She said four migrants had been on the train tracks near Saint-Jean-de-Luz at around 05:00 (CET) when they were hit by a train travelling to Bordeaux. Three died instantly, while another is seriously hurt, she said, adding that it was not clear why they were lying on the tracks.

Two of the migrants had Algerian nationality, the others’ nationalities are not known.

Mayor Eneko Aldana-Douat of nearby Ciboure said on BFM TV that the area near the Spanish border is a passageway for immigrants.