Late Tuesday night, following heavy monsoon rains, two passenger trains, the Kamayani Express and the Janata Express, derailed, in India, while crossing a flooded bridge.
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The accident took place while the train was crossing the bridge on the Machak River, where the water level was high due to heavy rainfall said a senior official in Mumbai.
Twelve coaches of the Kamayani Express to Varanasi from Mumbai derailed near Harda in the central state of Madhya Pradesh just before midnight.
Varanasi bound Kamayani Express passenger train has derailed in Madhya Pradesh early hours of Wednesday. The toll is expected to rise as rescue operations are still underway.
“According to reports, there was a possible burst in a nearby dam which caused sudden flow of water on the tracks and that resulted in the derailment”, Railway Board Chairman A K Mittal told PTI. Six coaches of the Janata Express derailed around the same time, the railway ministry said. “Most of the coaches had passed but the last few carriages were derailed”, Mr Saxena said of the first train. Television channels reported that several people were feared dead and that five bogies had fallen into the river.
“Rail Admn & MP govt working together to rescue passengers of Kamyani express accident”.
The accident aid train has reached the spot and a number of other passengers have been delivered to a close-by station.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu expressed grief over the death of passengers in the twin train accidents and extended his deep condolences to the bereaved families. Railway Minister said that he will give a detailed statement about the tragedy in the Parliament on Wednesday.
He also said that rescue and relief operations are being hampered by darkness and the swirling waters of the river, but added that all possible help is being provided for the affected.
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India’s railway network, one of the world’s largest, is still the main form of long-distance travel in the vast country but it is poorly funded and deadly accidents are frequent.
