9 killed, 80 injured following Indian train derailment

A speeding train derailed in western India early today, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 80.

Fifteen cars of the New Delhi-bound train flew off the tracks and rolled onto their sides when the driver suddenly applied the brakes because of poor visibility in the region, said Vipin Kumar Pande, superintendent of police.

A broken rail track punctured one car and killed some of the passengers, Pande told The Associated Press.

Rescuers used machinery to cut open some of the cars to free trapped passengers, he said.

Nineteen people were hospitalized with injuries, three of them in serious condition, Pande said, and more than 60 people with minor injuries had left for their homes after treatment.

The accident occurred near Banshkov, a village nearly 25 miles south of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan state.

Accidents are common on India's sprawling rail network, one of the world's largest, with most blamed on poor maintenance.

Last month, a passenger train crashed into another train's rear carriage in northern India, killing 22 people and injuring 16 near Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal.