Police say at least 35 people killed in train collision in eastern India

Police: 35 killed in India train crash

CALCUTTA, India — A speeding express train collided with a passenger train at a station in eastern India early Monday, mangling the carriages and killing at least 35 people, railway police said.

The crash happened at about 2 a.m. when the Uttarbanga Express slammed into the stationary Bananchal Express as it was leaving the platform at Sainthia station, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Calcutta.

Television footage showed twisted metal. The force of the crash was so intense the roof of one car flew into the air and landed on an overpass above the tracks. Local residents climbed through the debris searching for survivors.

A railway police officer said 35 bodies were recovered and more appeared to be trapped in the wreckage. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Accidents are common on India’s sprawling rail network, one of the world’s largest, with most blamed on poor maintenance.