Flash flood sinks track, coaches hurtle through mud in middle of night

Two passenger trains jumped off slippery tracks on a bridge near a rain-swollen river in central India, killing at least 24 people, officials said on Wednesday.

Two coaches hurtled through mud and came to rest on an embankment, they said.

The Kamayani Express was on its way to Mumbai when it derailed late Tuesday night near the town of Harda in Madhya Pradesh state, while the Janata Express was traveling in the opposite direction when it slid off the tracks soon after.

The trains were crossing a small bridge near the Machak River, about 950 km south of New Delhi. Another train had passed the same culvert 10 minutes before the first derailment without any problem.

But then a flash flood caused part of the track to sink into the rain-soaked ground, said A.K. Mittal, a senior railway officer.

Six coaches from the Kamayani Express and the engine and four coaches from the Janata Express derailed just before midnight. Although rescue workers soon reached the site, they were slowed by darkness.

Passengers said they awakened as train cars fell and quickly filled with muddy water.

At least two coaches were partially submerged in the mud, said railway official Anil Saksena. While most people were pulled to safety, rescue workers were still searching for trapped passengers.

"We are getting reports that there were flash floods and the tracks caved in. Most of the coaches had passed but the last few carriages were derailed," Saksena said.

Television footage showed some train cars fell on one side and others were leaning in the mud. Tracks were broken, uprooted and scattered, and a detached train wheel was visible in one section.

At least 24 bodies have been recovered so far, and one person was seriously injured, said Bijendra Kumar, a railway official in Bhopal, the main city in Madhya Pradesh state.

Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju said more than 300 people have been rescued. By Wednesday morning, the unaffected coaches had been moved from the tracks and rescue operations were nearing a close, according to Kumar. He said that railway workers would soon start repairing the tracks so traffic can resume. Dozens of trains have been blocked from moving due to the accident, while others have been diverted to other routes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "The two train accidents in Madhya Pradesh are deeply distressing. Deeply pained over the loss of lives."

AP - AFP

Two Indian passenger trains lie next to each other following a derailment after they were hit by flash floods on a bridge outside the town of Harda in Madhya Pradesh state on Wednesday. AFP