Major train accidents that India witnessed in past

NEW DELHI: At least 261 people have died and over 900 injured in a tragic rail accident involving Coromandel Express and the SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express on Friday night, in one of the worst train accidents in India in last decade. Multiple agencies are still trying to rescue the passengers from the mangled train coaches.

Here are some of the deadliest train accidents in India:

Firozabad Train Collision (1995): On August 20, 1995, a collision occurred between the Purushottam Express and the Kalindi Express near Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh. The accident claimed the lives of around 358 people.

Gaisal Train Disaster (1999): On August 2, 1999, the Brahmaputra Mail collided with the Awadh-Assam Express near Gaisal, Assam. The accident resulted in the deaths of approximately 290 people.

Khanna Rail Crash (1998): On November 26, 1998, the Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express collided with the Kalindi Express near Khanna, Punjab. The accident led to the loss of around 212 lives.

Peruman Train Collision (1981): On July 8, 1981, the Island Express collided with a local passenger train near Peruman, Kerala. The accident caused the deaths of approximately 150 people.

Pukhrayan Train Derailment (2016): On November 20, 2016, the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhrayan, Uttar Pradesh. The accident resulted in the loss of around 150 lives.

The Railways has been focusing on the safety of train passengers in last few years and has upgraded the railway tracks and also installed a device named 'kavach' to save trains from head on collision. The Railways also removed all the unmanned level crossings on its broad guage network.

However, Friday's accident involving the Coromandel Express and the SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express trains has put the spotlight once again on track safety despite several efforts by the Indian Railways.

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