Hundreds Die In Indian Train Crash

Two express trains collided head-on in eastern India, leaving hundreds of people dead and injured.

At least 250 passengers were killed and more than 200 injured, United News of India reported.

Other reports say 500 people may have been killed and more than 1,000 injured.

Doctors and paramedics, including medical students from a nearby college, rushed to the scene.

But rescuers were having trouble cutting through the mangled wreckage to get to the victims.

Jyoti Basu, the chief minister in the state of West Bengal where the accident took place, said 156 bodies had been pulled from the wreckage.

"The death toll is likely to be much more," he said.

A fire engulfed several coaches, burning to death some of the 2,500 passengers aboard the two trains. All four engineers from both trains were reported killed.

The collision of the Brahmputra Mail train from Gauhati and the Awadh-Assam Express from New Delhi occurred in Gaisan Station.

Rail officials initially believed the accident was caused by an explosion, but later said a collision was to blame, possibly caused by signal failure.

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