India Train Crash Leaves 31 Dead, At Least 100 Others Injured

Rescuers in India are searching the wreckage of a derailed train for survivors while the death toll has already reached 31 with more than 100 passengers receiving help for injuries.

The Kalka Mail train was heading to Kalka through the foothills of the Himalayas when 12 coaches and the engine jumped off the tracks near the town of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh.

According to officials the exact cause of the derailment is not known, however the trains engineer appeared to have applied the trains emergency brakes before the derailment occurred.

According to Newser:

The accident site was a pile of twisted metal. At least one coach flew above the roof of another ahead of it and was dangling precariously, television footage showed. Another coach was thrown away from the rest of the train.

Officials expect the death toll to rise as they employ gas cutters to cut through a mess of metal. Rescuers are currently attempting to reach trapped passengers who have become stuck inside the train because of twisted sections of metal.