BHUBNESHWAR, India – At least 15 people were killed Friday when 14 coaches derailed on a train traveling through eastern India, a railway official said.
J.P. Mishra, the chief spokesman of the East Coast Railway, said the death toll was likely to rise. He said another 48 people were injured in the derailment.
The accident occurred in Orissa state near the town of Jajpur, about 65 miles north of the city of Bhubneshwar.
It was not immediately clear how many people were in the derailed coaches, or why the accident occurred, he said.
"At the moment we're focusing on rescue and relief," he said.
The train was on its way from Calcutta to Chennai.
Accidents are common on India's sprawling rail network, which is one of the world's largest, with most accidents blamed on poor maintenance.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox