NEW DELHI: A speeding express rammed into the back of a stationary passenger train in eastern India on Monday, killing at least 57 people and trapping others in several badly mangled carriages.
The standing train was waiting to leave Sainthia station in Birbhum district, 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of the West Bengal state capital Kolkata, when the express slammed into its rear.
"The death toll has risen to 57," West Bengal Relief Minister Murtaza Hussain told foreign news agency. "We have sent a relief team with gas cutters (blow torches) and other equipment for a speedy rescue operation." He said the death toll would rise further, most likely above 60. It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, which occurred at around 2:00am (2030 GMT Sunday) when most passengers were sleeping.