2nd LD Writethru: 12 killed, 150 injured in train derailment in India

At least 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 said.

"The mishap happened when nine coaches of an express train derailed near state capital Bengaluru in the morning. While 12 people have died, those injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals where the condition of some are said to be serious," he said on condition of anonymity.

The Bangalore City-Ernakulam Intercity Express was going from Bengaluru to the city of Kochi in the neighboring state of Kerala when the incident took place.

Local TV channels showed footage of the mangled coaches and rescuers trying to pull out those still trapped inside.

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, Railway Minister Suresh 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 tweeted.

The Indian Railways has also announced a compensation of two lakh rupees (4,000 U.S. dollars) to the family of each deceased and 50,000 rupees (1,000 U.S. 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, but it's safety record is poor. Endi