Express train derails in India’s 3rd accident in 10 days

Indian policemen stand next to the wreckage of a carriage after an express train derailed on August 19 near the town of Khatauli in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. An express train derailed in India on Tuesday, the third accident to hit the country's ageing railways in 10 days. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Rescue teams were rushed to the scene but there were no reports of casualties.
  • Seven carriages came off the tracks near Asangaon in the western state of Maharashtra.

NEW DELHI

An express train derailed in India on Tuesday, the third accident to hit the country's ageing railways in 10 days.

Rescue teams were rushed to the scene but there were no reports of casualties after the seven carriages came off the tracks near Asangaon in the western state of Maharashtra.

"There are no injuries to passengers. We are arranging buses to bring passengers to destination," Indian Railways tweeted.

The accident comes days after around 40 passengers were injured in northern Uttar Pradesh state when a passenger train crashed into a truck.

Days before, 23 passengers were killed when a train derailed in the same state.

The head of India's railways stepped down last week in the wake of those accidents and the railways minister has also offered his resignation.

India's rail network is the world's fourth largest by distance and remains the main form of travel in the vast country, with 22 million passengers commuting daily.

But it is poorly funded and deadly accidents occur frequently, with experts blaming under-investment and poor safety standards.