BBC, PARDA PHASH (India), INDIA TIMES
PATNA — At least 37 Hindu pilgrims were killed after being hit by a train as they tried to cross tracks at a train station in the Northeastern Indian state of Bihar.
The accident, which left another dozen injured, sparked furor among locals and other pilgrims who assaulted the driver and set several coaches ablaze in retaliation, reports Parda Phash. According to railway officials, the train was not supposed to stop at Dhamara Ghat, where the accident took place, and had been given clearance to drive through the station.
The India Times reports that the pilgrims were gathering at the Katyayani Temple near the town of Dhamara Ghat, a popular Hindu pilgrimage site, for the last day of monthlong prayer celebrations.
Unfortunately, these accidents are not rare in India. According to the BBC, Indian railway officials confirmed last year that 1,220 people had been killed in train accidents between 2007 and 2012.
[rebelmouse-image 27087303 alt=”” original_size=”640×480″ expand=1]Speeding train in India – Photo: Bhanutpt