In Pictures | Deadliest train accidents in India

Here are some of the deadliest train crashes in the history of Indian Railways since Independence.

Bihar Train Disaster (1981): The accident happened when the Sealdah Express collided with the stationary Vananchal Express near the town of Saharsa in Bihar on June 6, 1981. The collision resulted in a massive fire that engulfed several coaches, leading to a high number of casualties. The death toll is believed to be over 1,000.

Firozabad Train Accident: Firozabad train accident occurred on August 20, 1995 in UP's Firozabad. The Purushottam Express collided with a stationary goods train, resulting in a massive fire that engulfed several coaches. The exact death toll is disputed, but estimates range from around 350 to over 500 fatalities.

Khanna Rail Disaster (1998): On November 26, 1998, near Khanna in Punjab, the Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express collided with the Amritsar-bound local train. The impact caused a derailment, and several coaches were severely damaged. The accident led to the deaths of around 211 people.

Gaisal Train Disaster (1999): The Awadh-Assam Express collided with the Brahmaputra Mail at high speed, resulting in a severe derailment and subsequent fire in West Bengal on August 2, 1999. The accident claimed the lives of approximately 290 people.

Amritsar Train Accident (2018): The Amritsar train accident happened on October 19, 2018, in Amritsar city, Punjab. The Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU runs through a crowd gathered to watch the burning of effigies for Dussehra and were standing on the tracks. The tragedy killed at least 59 people and injured 57.

Odisha Train Accident (2023): The train crash in Odisha on June 2, involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train in which at least 233 people have been killed and more than 900 injured. This train crash stands as one of the deadliest accidents in the history of Indian railways.

West Bengal train collision: Three rear coaches of the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed on June 17, 2024, as a goods train collided with it in West Bengal's Darjeeling district. At least nine people were killed and 41 injured in the accident. Among the deceased were the pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train.