Scores dead in north India train derailment

By Shuriah Niazi

BHOPAL, India (AA) - At least 90 people were killed in a train derailment in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state on Sunday, police said.

More than 200 passengers were injured, many seriously. Images on local media showed seriously damaged coaches lying on their sides as crowds of people stood around.

The 14-coach express train was travelling from Patna in Bihar state to Indore, Madhya Pradesh, when it derailed at around 3 a.m. local time (2130GMT) near Pukhrayan, 57 kilometers (35 miles) southwest of Kanpur.

“Some people are still trapped inside coaches,” Zaki Ahmed, Kanpur’s inspector general of police, said. “The injured have been admitted to different hospitals of the city. Our teams are at the site to help people in every possible way.”

Two National Disaster Response Force rescue teams are working at the site. The Hindustan Times reported that 90 soldiers had been sent from Kanpur to help.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear and Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered an investigation. He announced compensation of 350,000 rupees ($5,133) for the families of the dead.

In a Twitter post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “anguished beyond words” at the loss of life. “My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he added.

Train accidents are common in India, where more than 22 million people use the rail system daily.