India Train Collision Kills 25

A passenger train rammed into a parked freight train and caught fire before dawn today in southern India, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens more. Rescuers worked for about six hours to pull some 70 survivors from the twisted and smoldering wreckage near the southwestern border of Andhra Pradesh state. Medical workers brought drinking water to traumatized survivors at the scene, while mothers cried for help in finding their lost children. Witnesses reported seeing victims on fire.

The driver of the Hampi Express, upon seeing the cargo train stopped on the tracks ahead, slammed on the emergency brakes, which caused four cars of the Express to derail, officials said. The first passenger car caught fire, burning to death 16 people who were inside. The country's railway minister ordered an investigation, while officials said they were looking into whether the driver may have missed a signal or if the signal had malfunctioned.