Train derailment leaves 28 dead in India

Two passenger trains derailed in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh late on Tuesday, leaving at least 28 people dead.

Twenty four bodies were recovered from the site, including nine men, ten women and five kids, Madhya Pradesh Public Relations Department Commissioner Anupam Rajan said, adding that the toll could raise.

Both trains were crossing a partially flooded bridge within minutes of each other, when several coaches felt into a river. The Kamayani Express was on its way to Mumbai, while the Janata Express was travelling in the opposite direction when it derailed soon after, newswire Press Trust of India reported.

Recent heavy rain caused river levels to rise, submerging the tracks.

Read more: Monsoon rain leaves over 100 dead in India

More than 300 people were rescued from the site, with over 40 people injured.

“We are trying to rescue passengers. Relief work is going on on a war footing. We are checking all carriages to look for trapped passengers,” ministry spokesman Anil Saxena said.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accidents "distressing" on Twitter.

India's state run railway network operates about 12,000 passenger trains everyday, carrying nearly 23m people. Its safety standards have been frequently questioned.

In 2012, the Indian government reported that almost 15,000 people were killed every year in incidents on the rail network.

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