No fewer than 12 people were killed and more than 150 others injured in a train derailment in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Friday, a senior police officer has said.
The officer said on condition of anonymity that the mishap happened when nine coaches of an express train derailed near state capital Bengaluru in the morning.
He said the Bangalore City-Ernakulam Intercity Express was going from Bengaluru to the city of Kochi in the neighbouring state of Kerala when the incident took place.
“Twelve people have died, those injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals where the condition of some are said to be serious, while rescuers are trying to pull out those still trapped inside the mangled coaches”, he said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and officials are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring timely relief”, he said.
Meanwhile, Prabhu has said the mishap happened as a boulder fell on the track and the train hit it.
“I am personally monitoring it and in touch with state and local administration,” he said.
The Indian Railways has also announced a compensation of 4,000 dollars to the family of each deceased and 1,000 dollars for those grievously injured in the incident.
The state-owned Indian Railways, one of the world’s largest train networks, runs hundreds of trains daily, criss-crossing the country from north to south, with poor safety record.