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More Than 120 People Died, 200 Injured From Train Crash In India

Elaine Hannah
First Posted: Nov 21, 2016 04:20 AM EST

A train derailment near the city of Kanpur in northern India caused the death of more than 100 people and 200 people injured on Sunday. It is the worst train crash in India since 2010.

Zaki Ahmad, the police inspector general of Kanpur zone, said that the death toll has reached 120 and at least 200 others are injured. The train crashed at around 3 a.m. when most of the passengers were asleep. Most of the passengers that were killed were in two carriages near the engine that were inverted. About hundreds of people were trapped after the train's 14 carriages furrowed into one another as they went out of tracks, according to The Guardian.

The train was traveling then from Indore to Patna. It was derailed near the village of Purwa, about 40 miles (65 km) from Kanpur. The cause of the crash of the train is unknown yet and still under investigation. On the other hand, the Times of India stated that it might be because of the fracture in the track.

One of the passengers, Krishna Keshav, told BBC that they woke with a jolt at around 3 a.m. She further said that many coaches were derailed and everybody was in shock. She saw many bodies and injured people.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vented his condolences and said that his thoughts are with the bereaved families. "Prayers with those injured in the tragic train accident."

He also said that he had spoken to Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is responsible for monitoring the situation closely. Mr. Prabhu stated on his Twitter account that "strictest possible action will be taken against those who could be responsible for an accident." He further said that there will be an immediate investigation into the incident and compensation to be paid for the unfortunate victims and those who were injured.

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