A speeding train derailed in western India early Saturday killing at least nine people and injuring more than 80 others.
Fifteen coaches of the New Delhi-bound train flew off tracks when its driver suddenly applied the brakes because of poor visibility in the region, said Vipin Kumar Pande, superintendent of police.
The accident occurred near Banshkov, a village nearly 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan state.
A broken rail track pierced an air-conditioned coach and killed some of the passengers, Pande told The Associated Press.
Rescuers used equipment to cut open some of the coaches to free trapped passengers, he said. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital.
While three of the dead have been identified as Sonal Singh (18) of New Delhi, S Kumar of Jodhpur and Ujjawal Vadhwa (27) of Jaipur, others are yet to be identified.
Ninenteen of the injured, including a New Zealand national Ana Elizabeth, have been admitted to the SMS Hospital here.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced an exgratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of those killed.
An exgratia of Rs one l lakh would be given to the seriously injured and Rs 10,000 to passengers who have received minor injuries, a North West Railway Spokesman said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also announced a compensation of Rs two lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs one lakh to those seriously injured. A sum of Rs 50,000 will be given to those who have received minor injuries.
West zone railway protection commissioner Prashant Kumar and GM NWR R M Verma have left for the accident site.
Twelve trains have been diverted including the New Delhi Ajmer Shatabdi.
The stranded passengers have been sent to Jaipur. State-owned buses have been pressed into service to take the passengers to their destination.
Over 400 railway personnel are working on a war footing to restore the track on the Jhir-Jhatwara section of North Western railway after the Mandor Express derailed near Jaipur.
Cranes and hydraulic machines have been pressed into action to clear the track and cut the railroads that have pierced into AC coaches of the Jodhur-Delhi Mandor Express. Railway personnel plan to restore the track by Sunday.
Senior railway officials and medical teams teams are at the site and no passenger is left in the damaged train bogies, Chief Public Relation Officer K L Enkhia told PTI from the site.
Fifteen of the coaches that derailed including five AC ones, 7 sleeper and three general compartments, he said. West Zone Railway Security Commissioner Prashant Kumar and GM-NWR R M Verma were supervising the restoration work, he said. PTI/AP
