India train crash kills 111

NAVAL boats scoured for bodies today as rescuers gave up on finding new survivors from a train that plunged into a rain-swollen river in southern India, killing at least 111 people, officials said.

The accident occurred early on Saturday in the town of Veligonda in Andhra Pradesh state after flash floods washed away a portion of the track.

By this afternoon, rescuers had pulled out all survivors and dead bodies trapped in seven cars that derailed along with the train’s engine, said J P Batra, chairman of the railway board.

Soldiers and police used helicopters and cranes to cut through the roof of some cars and retrieve passengers trapped inside, while other rescuers swam out to the train to help pull out the injured. Five cars were submerged, while two more derailed on the ground.

The home minister of Andhra Pradesh states, K Jana Reddy, ruled out any new survivors. Rescuers on naval boats were searching for bodies that were washed away from the scene of accident, Reddy said.

At least 11 bodies were found downstream overnight, raising the death toll to 111.

Reddy said nearly all passengers travelling in five of the derailed coaches have been accounted for. Railroad authorities didn’t have any record of passengers travelling in the remaining two derailed coaches, which were unreserved, he said.

Rains have battered southern India for more than a week, claiming at least 90 other lives in Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Most of those drowned, but some were electrocuted or crushed under falling buildings.

Three days of particularly heavy rain caused three reservoirs to breach their banks, triggering the flash floods, said R Velu, a federal junior minister for railways who visited the accident site.

Rains also washed away roads in the area, slowing rescuers and ambulances trying to reach the accident site.