Not lesser than 27 bodiles have been recorded killed after two passenger trains traveling in opposite directions derailed within minutes of each other, sending carriages tumbling into a river in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The Kamayani Express derailed around midnight local time on Tuesday near the Kudawa railway station, about 20km from the town of Harda.
A second train, the Janata Express, travelling in the opposite direction from Patna to Mumbai, also derailed on the same bridge minutes later.
Police have recovered 27 bodies so far, but many more are feared dead. New Delhi, said there were reports that at least 300 people had been rescued but witnesses were giving accounts “that many people may have been washed away”.
Al Jazeera’s Nidhi Dutt, reporting from New Delhi, said there were reports that at least 300 people had been rescued but witnesses were giving accounts “that many people may have been washed away”.
Anil Saxena, a spokesperson for Indian Railways, said the bridge was partially submerged as the water level of the river was high due to heavy monsoon rain over the past two weeks. Teams of rescuers had trouble reaching the area overnight, due to the weather and the remote location of the accident.
A train carrying around 100 doctors and rescuers was dispatched to the location as other medics were sent by road. Passengers on one of the trains have told local media that water was overflowing onto the tracks when it attempted its crossing.
Article Source: Al -Jazeera
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