At least 19 killed as two trains derail in India

The government has ordered an inquiry into the accident, but Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said it appeared the cause was a “flash flood due to heavy rains”.

The derailments occurred close to midnight in Madhya Pradesh; one train had been heading west to Mumbai and the other east to Varanasi.

Passengers described how they were jerked awake by the falling carriages, which quickly filled with muddy water. As per current status, around 27 have been killed and 100 injured in the accident.

Dozens were taken to hospital in critical condition.

A second train, the Janata Express, travelling in the opposite direction from Patna to Mumbai, also derailed on the same bridge minutes later.

“There is some suggestion of flash floods on the tracks that caved the tracks“. Emergency workers continue to look for survivors, as 300 passengers have been rescued, but it is not clear how many people were on board.

Rescuers with specialist cutting equipment and diving suits have been deployed along with doctors to the accident site.

Officials said rescuers, who worked mostly in darkness through the night into yesterday morning, were hampered by the waters.

“As of now, 10 down trains originating from the zone have been cancelled following the accident at Harda in MP because track has been severely affected and unavailability of rakes”, a senior officer from Public Relation Department of Central Railways said.

Monsoon rains have hit large swathes of the country in recent weeks, flooding rivers and roads and claiming some 180 lives in mainly western and eastern India. For its part, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi tweeted that his “prayers are with the wounded” and that “the authorities do their best”.