Seven passengers were killed and two dozen19 injured when the Jodhpur-Delhi Mandore Express derailed near Bassi, more than 40 km from state capital Jaipur, at 1.35 a.m. early on Saturday.
The injured have been admitted in Jaipur SMS Hospital.
“The accident occurred at around 1.30 a.m. between Jhar and Jathwara station when four air conditioned and seven sleeper coaches got derailed. Five persons have been killed and 19 others injured in the accident," a railway spokesperson said.
He said the work to locate trapped passengers is being undertaken. “We should have complete information in next one or two hours," he added.
"We have diverted routes of 24 trains and cancelled two fast passenger trains," the spokesperson said.
IANS talked to some of the passengers travelling in the train who said the accident took place shortly after leaving Jaipur station.
“The train was on its way to Delhi and was gathering speed after leaving Jaipur at around 1 a.m. Suddenly we heard a loud sound and everything started to shake, people sleeping on the upper berths started to fall down. There was complete chaos," said Priyanka, a woman travelling in the train.
“A lady who was sleeping in front of my berth was so seriously injured in the accident that she died on the spot," Priyanka added.
Another passenger said: “I do not remember who took us out of the coach, I only remember that the glass of emergency window was broken and we were taken out of our AC coach."
