21 die as freight train hits passenger locomotive in India

A FREIGHT train on the wrong track slammed into a stationary passenger locomotive at a railway station amid heavy rain in central India yesterday, killing at least 21 people and injuring 53, officials said.

The death toll could rise as the debris of two damaged coaches were being cleared, rail official RS Yadav said.

The crash happened at the Bhaderwah rail station, 235 miles south of the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The freight train was on a wrong track and hit the passenger train head-on, Mr Yadav said.

Accidents are common on India's sprawling rail network, one of the world's largest but lacking in modern signalling and communication systems.

Most crashes are blamed on poor maintenance and human error.