Deadly Train Derailment Kills At Least 21, Injures More Than 100 in India
- Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:20am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Rescuers searched through the wreckage of a packed express train for people trapped inside after it derailed in northern India on Sunday, killing at least 21 and injuring more than 100 others, officials said.
The Kalka Mail train was on its way to Kalka, in the foothills of the Himalayas, from Howrah, a station near Kolkata in eastern India, when 12 coaches and the engine jumped the tracks near the town of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh state, senior railway official A.K. Jain said.
The cause of the derailment was not immediately clear but it appeared that the driver applied the emergency brakes, Jain said.
At least 21 people were killed and rescue workers pulled at least 100 injured passengers out of the wreckage, said Brij Lal, a state police official.
The accident site was a pile of twisted metal. At least one coach flew above the roof of another ahead of it and was dangling precariously, television footage showed. Another coach was thrown away from the rest of the train.
The death toll was likely to rise as rescuers made their way through the coaches and used gas cutters to cut through the mangled metal, Lal said.
“We’re trying to cut into the coaches and rescue those still trapped inside,” Lal said.
Medical personnel rushed to the area, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.
TV stations showed local residents helping injured passengers away from the train and breaking the windows of coaches to help those trapped inside.
The number of passengers on board the Kalka Mail — named for its past use in the postal service — was not known. Express trains normally carry about 1,000 people and travel at speeds of 60-80 miles (100-130 kilometers) per hour.
The derailment delayed several other trains, officials said.
India’s railroad network is one of the largest in the world and carries about 14 million passengers a day. Accidents are common, with most blamed on poor maintenance and human error.
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nelan72
Posted on July 12, 2011 at 5:02pmAmerica is dragging far behind on the rest of the world for passenger trains. That is bad? why?
Report Post »nobama4ever
Posted on July 11, 2011 at 9:02amIndian Railways is a Government run system. As in any thing Govenment does the productivity is low and corruption very high. Most of the government contract work are given out to corrupt contractors and the government officials just look the other way for any shoddy work these contractors do. The tracks, locomotives and carriages are not maintained properly. Most government workers try to get away with minimum and shoddy work. It is a sad situation in India.
The only positive thing about Indian Railways is that it is the most convenient, least expensive mode of transportation to any corner of India. Majority of people in India depend on the Railways for their commuting.
Report Post »Sam
Posted on July 11, 2011 at 1:19amSome of the comments here are absolutely disgusting. I wonder what your response would be if people from India made similar comments at the time of 9/11. A human life is a human life irrespective of nationality. Have some respect, compassion and decency when you comment about loss of human life.
I suppose you wouldn’t have a problem if a bunch of your loved ones lost their life in an accident and somebody walked up to you and said “don’t worry about it, its just nature trying to achieve population control”? Remember what you sow is what you reap says the bible.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 8:15pmMay God be with these poor people.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 6:23pmNot reading your posts, Priceless!
Report Post »Bernard
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 6:22pmThis is a classic case of India’s abysmal infrastructure which has been a bane to her growth. Until that nation takes seriously in building her infrastructure to accommodate not only her population but attract foreign investment, her growth, even though at 8% will not see it’s full potential.
Report Post »China too has similar problems,mainly in her mining industry. I have never seen so many mining accidents as in China, but unlike India China at least is developing a world class infrastructure. Now she needs to care about her mining industry.
SilentReader
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:36pmMost of these railroads were built by the British. I’m wondering if they are being maintained.
I‘ve travelled by train several times in India and in general it’s an okay experience if you ride first class. Otherwise it’s unbearably crowded. Like the buses. And don’t eat the food because you are liable to be sick as a dog for days, as I was.
Let’s hope things are remedied there and that this sort of carnage will be prevented in the future. For those who have died may they RIP.
Report Post »AntiLiberal74
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:24pmLet’s hear from the high speed rail crowd
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:47amIndia’s Transportation System is also in charge of their Population Control Program.People starving over there and cows roam the streets freely? Go figure!
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:42amDon’t they have a derailment just about every other day?
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:39amNothing new for India! Move along!
Report Post »Crazy Times
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:31amThat’s what you get when you pile people on top of people…..
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:30pmDoes not the rail system of Japan do something like this with certain lines, literally jamming people into each availible space to move as many as possible at once? They do not seem to have so many accidents in their railsystem as far as I have heard of.
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:24amPast use in the postal service? Figures.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:23amHow many were riding on top of the train .Don‘t worry they’ll make more people ,LOTS more.Life is cheap there.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 12:05pmEven still they are human beings – may peace and comfort come to the families of those lost, and may those injured be healed soonest to continue forward with their lives.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:13pmIt wasn’t a serious comment SNOW .
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:27pm@Drattastic:
My apologies, I have kinfolk over in India, and anything I hear such as this matter happening makes me a bit uptight. I need to handle it better. Again my apologies.
Report Post »DarkFire
Posted on July 10, 2011 at 1:59pmDon’t be sorry we have to many people being sorry for what they think. THANK GOD! FOR POPULATION CONTROL! less of my tax dollar being “ stripped for foreign aid ” now only if god would strike china for about a billion in people i would sleep better at night!
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