A train has hit and killed 14 people in a canyon near the central Macedonian city of Veles, according to state TV.

A government official said they were killed on a route which is popular for migrants trying to reach western Europe.

The accident happened at 10:30pm on Thursday, and rescue efforts were hampered by difficult terrain.

The state prosecutor says most of the group were from Somalia and Afghanistan.

Migrants fleeing the Middle East and Africa are increasingly turning to the Balkans as a longer but safer route to Europe than crossing the Mediterranean.

Up to 900 went down on a single boat on Sunday off the coast of Libya, a major staging point for migrants heading for Europe.

Local media reported that the group was 50-strong. They were hit by an international train travelling from the southern Macedonian border town of Gevgelija to the Serbian capital, Belgrade, the same route taken by migrants trying to get from Greece to Hungary.

In a statement the prosecutor said: "The driver saw a large group, dozens of people."

"At that moment, he took action to stop the train and engage the siren, at which point some people left the tracks."

"The train was unable to stop before hitting and running over some of them."