At Least 91 Dead In Train Derailment In India

A deafening shock in the middle of the night. This is the last thing to remember survivors' express train Patna-Indore, which derailed early Sunday, November 20 near the town of Kanpur in northern India , at a time when many passengers were asleep.


At least 91 people were killed and over 150 injured in the accident, according to Daljit Singh Chawdhary, a police official of Uttar Pradesh (north).

Rescue operations are still ongoing, he said.

#SpotVisuals Rescue and relief ops underway after Patna-Indore express train derailed near Kanpur. 91 dead, over 150 injured. pic.twitter.com/5YEZYUqMjJ

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 20, 2016

All hospitals in the region have been placed on red alert and some 30 ambulances were deployed to transport the wounded.

The television showed images of a convoy tilted to the side, some cars crumpled like paper.

'A near-death experience'

Witnesses reported hearing a huge noise just before being thrown against the walls of the train




"We were awakened by a loud noise this morning. It was an ink night and the noise was deafening," said a passenger on the press.

"I'm lucky to be alive and unharmed. But it was a near death experience for us," he added.

The government will investigate the causes of the derailment and will take strict action against those who are responsible, promised the Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu in a tweet.

The Indian rail network, one of the largest in the world, has strong security gaps but still the main means of transport to cover long distances in this vast country despite competition from airlines.

The most serious accident on an Indian railway line occurred in 1981 when a train fell into a river, causing 800 deaths.