Deadly Train Derailment in India Kills 19

A rescue operation is ongoing after a passenger train derailed in western India on Sunday, killing at least 19 of those onboard and injuring over 120. The rescue effort is ongoing, and the death toll is expected to rise. Authorities don't yet know the cause of the derailment, and an investigation has been ordered.

The train was near Roha station in the western state of Maharstra when the engine and four train cars reportedly jumped the tracks. Two of the coaches fell on their sides and one overturned completely, necessitating the use of cranes to remove them from the track. People trapped inside the train were freed when rescuers used gas cutters to open the train cars, and train service throughout the area was suspended. In addition to the 19 dead, 123 injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Although Sunday's accident was horrifying, it is sadly not unusual for India's crowded train system. According to OneIndia news, the country's railway system saw seven "major" train accidents in 2013 alone, including a December train fire that claimed more than two dozen lives. Safety standards are notoriously lax for trains in India, which has one of the world's largest railway networks. The country's trains carry more than 20 million passengers each day.