Two Trains Derail Killing At Least 31, Possibly More In India Tuesday Night; Hundreds Rescued

Update as of 1:28 a.m. EDT: At least 31 people are dead after two trains in India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh derailed Wednesday, Hindustan Times, a national newspaper reported. The accident occurred when the two trains were trying to cross a small bridge in the state, shortly after midnight, according to the report.

Officials conducting rescue operations said that the death toll could rise further, the newspaper reported. A.K. Mittal, chairman of the Railway Board, reportedly said that the derailments could have been due to a sudden flash flood. He added that the trains’ movement was normal just minutes before the accident.

Update as of 12:17 a.m. EDT: The death toll from the derailment of two passenger trains in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has climbed to 27, according to local media reports.

Eleven women, 11 men and five children are reportedly among the dead, and an investigation is underway into the incident, which authorities say was caused by heavy rains in the region.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, will visit the site of the derailment Wednesday, Asian News International reported on its Twitter account. Chouhan announced on his Twitter page that the state is providing medical assistance on site and is working closely with Indian Railways and rescue personnel.

Update as of 11:49 p.m. EDT: At least 24 people have been killed after two passenger trains derailed over a bridge in central India, local media reports said.

However, an Indian Railways official refuted earlier reports that said that the derailed trains fell into a river, NDTV, a local news network reported. Heavy rain had reportedly caused river levels to rise, submerging the tracks, and flooding the train cars, the official said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the incident on his Twitter account.

Update as of 10:56 p.m. EST: Several train cars were reportedly submerged in a river following the two train derailments Tuesday night in India, Al Jazeera reported. The death toll has risen to at least 19, and it is feared that dozens more may have simply floated away in the fierce currents following the crashes.

Original story:

Two trains crossing paths in the night both derailed late Tuesday evening, killing at least 12 and requiring the rescue of hundreds more. The trains, one traveling from Mumbai to Varanasi, the other traveling from Jabalpur to Mumbai, crashed at the exact same spot while crossing a submerged track. The derailments caused carriages to tumble into a river in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The rails were damaged during heavy rains in the area, which led to both of the trains crashing, according to IBNLive.com. The trains derailed within minutes of one another, and search crews are still looking for survivors. The searchers were hindered by bad weather and darkness as they began their search for people from the derailed trains who might be grasping onto trees or bushes for dear life.

"There was water on the tracks and the bridge was submerged. So the last bogies of Kamayani Express got derailed," said railway spokesperson Anil Saxena. "Simultaneously, on the other track, the engines and coaches of the Janata Express also got derailed."

A live blog from the Times of India reported Wednesday morning that the derailment may have been caused by a flash flood that swept against the train, flooding the insides up to the chests of some passengers.

By Wednesday morning, more than 300 passengers were saved from the strong currents that threatened the trains.

"I was sleeping and suddenly I felt a jolt," said Manoj Mongi, a passenger on one of the trains. "I came out. I saw three women floating, but could not save them."

India is not well known for having exceptional safety standards on its trains. In 2012, a report said that 15,000 people are killed every year on Indian railways. The report, issued by the government, said the deaths were the product of poor safety standards. It described the thousands of deaths as a "massacre."