Coromandel train accident: A look at deadly train crashes in India in recent decades

The latest deadly train crash in India happened Friday, when two passenger trains derailed

Ap News
Saturday 03 June 2023 12:04 BST
India Train Derailment
India Train Derailment (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The latest deadly train crash in India happened on Friday, when two passenger trains derailed, killing 280 people, injuring more than 900, and trapping hundreds of others inside more than a dozen damaged rail cars, officials said.

More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India daily, traveling on 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of track. Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents happen annually on India’s railways. Most are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment.

Here's a look at other deadly India train crashes in recent decades:

October 2018 — A train ran over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India, killing at least 60 people and injuring dozens more on the outskirts of Amritsar, a city in Punjab state.

November 2016 — At least 146 people were killed when a passenger train traveling between the cities of Indore and Patna slid off the tracks. More than 200 people were injured.

July 2011 — A passenger train jumped tracks near Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, killing 68 people and leaving 239 passengers injured.

May 2010 — A passenger train derailed and was hit by a cargo train, killing 145 people in West Bengal state. Authorities blamed sabotage by Maoist rebels for the crash.

October 2005 — A passenger train plunged into a rain-swollen river in southern India, killing at least 111 people. About 100 injured passengers were rescued from coaches that derailed after floods washed away tracks in the town of Veligonda in Andhra Pradesh state.

September 2002 — An express train traveling from Calcutta to New Delhi jumped its tracks and plunged into a river, killing at least 121 people. The accident happened south of the Bihar state capital of Patna.

August 1999 — Two trains collided head-on in the city of Gauhati, killing more than 285 people.

November 1998 — Two trains collided in the northern town of Khanna, killing 210 people. The crash happened when a passenger train hit cars that had uncoupled from another train.

August 1995 — Two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people. One of the trains had stopped after hitting a cow.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in