Indian train jumps tracks, 12 killed, 100 hurt

BHOPAL, India (Reuters) – A crowded train jumped the tracks
in central India on Monday, killing at least 12 passengers and
injuring 100, police said.

Six coaches of the Bundelkhand Express derailed near Datia
town in Madhya Pradesh, about 250 miles north of the state
capital, Bhopal, a police officer said.

He said the train derailed near the Datia station and
rescue teams, including soldiers, had reached the site and were
removing passengers from the cars.

“We suspect the brakes of the train failed,” the officer
said. He said the train sped through the station where it was
due to stop and jumped the tracks in the area ahead where
coaches are serviced and cleaned.

The train was going from the Hindu holy town of Varanasi in
neighboring Uttar Pradesh to Gwalior city in Madhya Pradesh.

India has one of the world’s biggest railway networks,
running almost 12,000 trains daily carrying more than 13
million people. There are about 300 accidents each year.

In April, a passenger train slammed into a stationary goods
train in western India, killing 17 people and injuring dozens.

Experts say the rail system, saddled with huge losses
because of rock-bottom fares and a massive workforce, has
little money to invest in improving safety and infrastructure.