A speeding express train collided with a passenger train at a station in eastern India early on Monday, mangling the carriages and killing at least 49 people, railway police said. The crash happened at about 2 a.m. local time (2030 GMT on Sunday) when the Uttarbanga Express slammed into the stationary Bananchal Express as it was leaving the platform at Sainthia station, about 125 miles (200 kilometres) north of Calcutta. The crash destroyed two passenger cars and a luggage car, turning them into a tangle of twisted metal. The passenger cars were reserved for those on the cheapest tickets and such carriages are usually packed to capacity. The force of the crash was so intense the roof of one car flew into the air and landed on an overpass above the tracks.
Local residents climbing through the debris searching for survivors were later joined by rescue workers using heavy equipment to cut through the metal.
Railway spokesman Samir Goswami said rescue workers recovered 49 bodies, and around 100 other people were injured. He said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
Accidents are common on India's sprawling rail network, one of the world's largest, with most blamed on poor maintenance.
Two trains collide killing at least forty nine; India
06:58 GMT 19.07.2010 (Updated: 19:52 GMT 19.10.2022)
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A speeding express train collided with a passenger train at a station in eastern India early on Monday, mangling the carriages and killing at least 49 people, railway police said.
