Train Derailment in India Kills at Least 16

A passenger train jumped off the tracks in central India on Monday killing at least 16 people and injuring at least 36 more.

According to preliminary reports, the train was speeding at the time it derailed. It was heading from the northern Indian city of Varanasi to the central city of Gwalior. The derailment took place near the town of Datia, approximately 200 miles south of New Delhi.

Six of the trains coaches jumped off the track during the incident. Rescue workers who arrived on the scene say that when they arrived, many people were trapped in badly mangled cars which had jumped the tracks or been damaged as a result of the crash.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the train was moving at approximately 55 miles per hour just before the derailment took place. The speed limit in that area is roughly 9 miles per hour.

India has the world's second largest rail network. Accidents are commonplace in India due to poor safety standards. A further investigation into the incident is still pending.