The death toll from a train accident in India, in the eastern state of Orissa, is at least 50 dead and over 500 injured, while rescuers are busy rescuing 200 passengers who are feared to have been trapped under the carriages.
According to an initial reconstruction, a dozen carriages of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar ending up on the opposite track.
"A train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah crashed into those carriages causing the derailment of its 3-4 carriages," said Railways spokesman Amitabh Sharma.
A second passenger train would also be involved in the disaster, but the dynamics of the events are not yet clear.
Dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene of the tragedy to help transport the injured to medical facilities in the region.
Local media showed images of an overturned train carriage on the side of the tracks with what appeared to be survivors on top of the overturned train carriages and local residents trying to help them off.
(Unioneonline/lf)
