At least 29 dead, hundreds rescued in Indian double train derailment

Two trains derailed moments apart in India on Tuesday night
(Image credit: AP/YouTube)

Right before midnight on Tuesday, two passenger trains in India's Madhya Pradesh state derailed at a crossing near the flooded Machak River, killing at least 29 and injuring 70 more. Officials said Wednesday that up to 600 people were on the two trains, which did not collide, and at least 300 people have been rescued from the wreckage. Indian rail officials blamed the accident on monsoon rains, which they say washed away soil from under the tracks, sinking a section into the muddy ground.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accidents "deeply distressing," and his government said the families of the deceased would each receive 200,000 rupees, or about $3,100. You can see scenes from the accident in the Associated Press video below. Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.