950820

Over 90 killed

in India

train collision

NEW DELHI: At least 90 people were killed on Sunday when two Delhi-bound trains collided some 200 km (125 miles) from the Indian capital, the Press Trust of India (PTI) said.

PTI quoted railway officials as saying the Delhi-bound Purshottam Express train rammed into the rear of Kalindi Express which had stopped midway to the next station after running over a buffalo and damaging its braking system.

Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, who last week took over the railway minister's fortfolio, sent senior officials to the accident site to supervise relief and rescue work.

PTI said three cars of the Kalindi Express were completely destroyed and the engine and two carriages of the other train were thrown off the tracks in the collision.

The railways are an important form of transport across the vast reaches of the Indian subcontinent and crashes by the ageing stock are fairly common.-Reuter