At least two people died and 43 people were injured when a train derailed in northern India yesterday, police and rail officials said, at least the third such accident in recent weeks that has raised concerns about the safety of the aging rail network.
The train derailed in Rura, India, near the city of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh State at about 5:30am.
Local government officials said some coaches had crashed into each other and turned sideways after coming off the tracks.
Photo: AFP
“We can confirm two deaths and injuries to at least 28 persons, who are admitted at different hospitals around Kanpur,” Kanpur police inspector general Zaki Ahmad said.
The number of injured people was later updated to 43.
All the injured, several of whom were in critical condition, had been taken to nearby hospitals, Uttar Pradesh police director general Javeed Ahmad said in a tweet.
TV footage from the scene showed mangled, toppled carriages, some with their wheels still on the tracks. Two coaches had fallen off a bridge into a small canal. Some passengers were seen picking up their luggage from near the tracks.
Indian Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu said senior department officials had already rushed to the accident scene.
“Immediate medical help being provided to the injured. Mobilized resources, directed all concerned to ensure rescue and relief,” Prabhu said on Twitter. “Thorough investigation will be carried out to ascertain the cause.”
India’s creaking railway system is the world’s fourth largest. It runs 11,000 trains a day, including 7,000 passenger trains carrying more than 20 million people.
However, it has a poor safety record, with thousands of people dying in accidents every year, including in derailments and collisions.
This was at least the third such accident in recent weeks. On Nov. 20, at least 146 people died when a train derailed near the same city.
Prabhu has promised to replace old tracks and upgrade safety apparatus. The government spends more than 90 percent of the railways’ revenues on operational costs, leaving little for upgrades for the colonial-era system.
Analysts estimate the railways need 20 trillion rupees (US$293.3 billion) of investment by 2020, and India is turning to partnerships with private companies and seeking loans from other countries to upgrade the network.
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