New Delhi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Two passenger trains have derailed in Madhya Pradesh a few minutes after each other last night, while crossing a semi-flooded bridge , killing at least 24 people. The vehicles were passing near the town of Harda. In the crash several carriages fell into the river. A Railways spokesman said that the rains raised the river level, submerging the tracks. At least 25 people were injured and another 300 brought to safety.
The first train to derail was the Kamayani Express, traveling from Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) to Mumbai (Maharashtra). The second was the Janata Express, coming from the opposite direction. According to the national agency Press Trust of India, it is unclear how many passengers were on board the two vehicles.
The trains were crossing a bridge over the river Machak, about 950 kilometers from the capital New Delhi. "This unfortunate incident - said railways spokesman Anil Saksena - occurred due to the floods that have inundated the bridge. The tracks gave in, causing the derailment. " In recent weeks, the monsoon rains have killed about 180 people, mostly in western and eastern India.
In a tweet Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu, announced that he had ordered an investigation into the incident. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has expressed concern and condolences on Twitter.
The Indian railway network is one of the largest in the world. 12 thousand passenger trains run every day across the country carrying about 23 million people. However, safety standards are often the subject of debates, because of ongoing disasters that occur. According to a government report of 2012, at least 15 thousand people die each year in accidents.
Last March, another passenger train derailed in Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 34 people. In February, 11 people died after three rriages of the Bangalore-Ernakulam Intercity Express derailed in Karnataka.