Train derails in India's West Bengal state; at least 5 dead
At least five people have died and more than 45 were injured when a train derailed in India’s West Bengal state
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At least five people died and more than 45 were injured when a train derailed Thursday in India s West Bengal state, officials said.
Twelve coaches of the train went off the rails and three capsized. Images from the scene showed passengers stuck in twisted metal and debris as rescuers rushed to pull them out.
The train was on its way to Gauhati in Assam state from Bikaner, a city in Rajasthan state, when the accident occurred in Jalpaiguri district.
All of the injured were being treated in a hospital, senior police officer Debarshi Dutta said.
Senior railway official Guneet Kaur said the cause of the accident was being investigated. She said the government would provide financial compensation to families of the deceased and all of the injured.
Accidents are common on India’s massive but aging railway network. Safety standards have been an ongoing concern on the state-run system, which operates 9,000 passenger trains and carries about 23 million passengers every day.
In 2016, 127 people were killed when 14 coaches derailed in Uttar Pradesh state in one of India’s worst train accidents.
___
This story corrects that Gauhati is not the capital of Assam state.