1st LD Writethru: 12 die as passenger train derails in southern India

At least 12 people have been killed and several others injured after a passenger train derailed in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh late Saturday night, a senior railway official said.

"The mishap happened near Kuneru station in the state's Vizianagaram district near the border with the neighboring state of Odisha around 11 p.m. (local time) Saturday when seven coaches and the engine of the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express went off tracks," he said.

While 12 bodies have been pulled out of derailed coaches by rescuers, those injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, the official said, adding the train was on its way to Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, when the accident took place.

Local TV channels reported, quoting a senior police official, that rescue and relief operations were immediately initiated and efforts are on to bring out injured trapped in the derailed coaches.

"Railway minister Suresh Prabhu is personally monitoring the situation," the railway official said, adding that a team of doctors is on its way to the accident site.

The Indian Railway is one of the largest networks in the world, criss-crossing the country from north to south. But train accidents are fairly common in India, where much of the railway equipment is out of date.

In 2015, the Indian government announced investments of 137 billion U.S. dollars over five years to modernize and expand the railways. Endit