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At least 60 dead, 92 injured in India train crash
By: cnn.comPosted On: 07/19/2010 1:32 P
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At least 60 people died and 92 others were injured Monday when a moving train rammed into a stationary train in eastern India, authorities said.
At least 60 people died and 92 others were injured Monday when a moving train rammed into a stationary train in eastern India, authorities said.
The rear-end collision at the Sainthia station flung the roof of one of the wrecked compartments onto an overpass, television footage showed.
In a late afternoon statement, railway authorities put the death toll at 60. At least 92 passengers were injured, it said.
Indian railway minister Mamata Banerjee announced financial assistance of about $10,575 for each death and about $2,115 for every seriously wounded passenger.
Emergency crews used gas cutters -- gas-powered tools similar to blowtorches -- free travelers trapped inside the mangled coaches of the Vananchal Express. Giant cranes then pulled twisted metal from the railroad.
Authorities are investigating what caused the collision, railway spokesman Anil Saxena said.
India's massive rail network is marred by a poor safety record. At least 100 train accidents occurred in the 2009-2010 fiscal year, according to officials. Authorities registered 115 rail crashes in 2008-2009.
Officials have identified human error as a major culprit in train wrecks.
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