At least 9 dead, dozens injured as trains collide in India's Darjeeling district, a tourist hotspot
A cargo train has rammed into a passenger train in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens of others
NEW DELHI (AP) — A cargo train rammed into a passenger train in India's eastern state of West Bengal on Monday, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens of others, officials said.
Television channels showed video of one train rammed into the end of the other, with one compartment rising vertically in the air. Doctors and ambulances rushed to the accident site in the Darjeeling district, a tourist spot nestled in the Himalayan foothills, soon after the collision. Scores of people gathered as rescuers searched through the debris.
Three of the nine dead were railway personnel, said Sabyasachi De, spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway. Nearly 50 people were hospitalized.
The driver of the cargo train, who was among the dead, disregarded a signal and caused the collision, De said. Four compartments at the rear of the passenger train derailed due to the impact, he said, adding that most of the cars were carrying cargo while one was a passenger coach.
