A two-year-old and a seven-year-old are in induced comas after a collision between a car and a train at a level crossing near Taree on the New South Wales mid north coast.

A woman and a six-year-old girl were also injured in the incident at Coralville, between Moorland and Coopernook, shortly after 11:00am.

The children and woman are from the same family and were travelling in the car together.

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The two-year-old and seven-year old suffered the worst injuries, and both were placed on life support.

“The seven-year-old has been unconscious and has been placed into an induced coma by the ambulance and with life support-type machines in use, has been transported with a doctor,” said Chief Inspector Neil Stephens from the Manning Great Lakes Local Area Police Command.

The 30-year-old mother has serious injuries and the six-year-old girl has been treated for shock.

Chief Inspector Stephens said it was unclear what caused the crash.

“I have noticed just from being up there it is a rail crossing that is a dirt road that approaches a railway line,” he said.

“There is a railway crossing stop sign warning motorists that it is a crossing but it doesn’t appear to be a crossing that has boom gates or light indicators of that type.”

Chief Inspector Stephens said it was a devastating scene.

“It is an awful scene and tragic for those involved and for all the other people responding to it,” he said.

He said the train hurtled down the track for hundreds of metres before coming to a stop.

“The freight train was fully laden with steel, weighing thousands of tonnes and it looks like it has taken about 800 metres to come to a stop and it has obviously impacted very heavy with the car,” he said.

The train driver has been treated for shock.

Police and the Crash Investigation Unit established a crime scene and are currently investigating the incident.

The said they were not aware of previous accidents at the site.

Greater Taree City Council Mayor Paul Hogan has sought an urgent briefing on the accident.

“It is devastating, it is tragic news,” he said, adding the accident would rock the tight-knit community.

“I have lived here all my life and I would probably know some of the families that are involved with this.”