At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured Friday morning when three cars in a passenger train derailed in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state.
Rescuers were working feverishly, wielding metal cutters to work through the wreckage in their efforts to aid any other victims and recover bodies.
The train derailed around 9:15 a.m. local time after the driver apparently overshot a signal, causing the engine and two adjoining cars to derail, a railway representative said. The incident occurred near Bachhrawan village.
The representative said at least 21 passengers were dead, with at least 24 more injured, Reuters news agency reported.
The state government has ordered an investigation and has ordered compensation to victims, Reuters reported, with 200,000 rupees ($3,200) intended for the dead's next of kin and 50,000 rupees ($800) for the wounded.
Accidents are common on India's state-owned railroad network, one of the world's largest, carrying more than 23 million people a day, the Associated Press reported. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to improve the system's safety record.
