Major train wreck in Southern India

October 29, 2005 The BBC and CNN has reported that a train derailment Saturday morning at about 4:15 a.m. local time (Friday 2245 UTC) has resulted in at least 100 casualties in the state of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India. Heavy rains, which killed over one hundred people in India this week, apparently washed out a section of track. A rescue operation is ongoing as some train carriages overturned into the flood waters and some people are apparently trapped. The BBC reports that many of the passengers were traveling to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, which occurs Tuesday.

India operated rail systems carry more than 13 million passengers a day, but has a poor history of safety. The BBC says that about 300 rail accidents are reported each year, resulting in significant casualties.