At Least 179 Injured When Passenger Train Derails In India

NEW DELHI (AP) — Officials say a passenger train has derailed in eastern India, trapping many people inside its derailed coaches.

More than 170 people were injured and taken to hospitals, according to media reports.

An official in Odisha state says rescuers are attempting to free another 200 people feared trapped in the derailed coaches.

The cause of the derailment is being investigated.

A railroad ministry spokesperson says some mangled pieces of the derailed train fell onto a nearby track and were hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction.

Several hundred accidents occur every year on India’s railways, the largest train network under one management in the world.

Most accidents are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment.