All hope is gone

Authorities call off search for survivors in India’s worst rail tragedy as death toll hits 146.

The death toll from India’s worst train accident in years rose to 146, as rescuers used cranes to lift the twisted metal wreckage to check for more bodies underneath.

The passenger train was about midway through a 27-hour journey between the cities of Indore and Patna when it slid off the tracks at 3.10am on Sunday.

The impact was so strong that one of the coaches landed atop another, crushing the one below. Passengers were jolted awake and said they heard the crash as they were flung from their beds.

Rescue workers, soldiers and members of India’s disaster management force worked through the night to pull out people trapped amid the twisted metal and overturned coaches near Pukhrayan, a village outside Kanpur about 400km southeast of New Delhi.

They used cutting torches to pry open cars and cranes to lift coaches from the tracks, moving carefully to prevent any cars from toppling over and injuring those trapped inside.

But they called off the search on yesterday afternoon as the last of the carriages was removed from the tracks.

“We recovered eight bodies today and the rescue operations were called off late afternoon.

“There is no hope for more survivors,” said Anil Shekhawat, spokesman for the National Disaster Response Force.

“The rail line has been cleared and some restoration work is on. The line will be fit for traffic soon,” added spokesman Vijay Kumar.

The accident killed at least 145, of which 116 had been identified, according to Dr Aneeta Singh, the chief medical officer of Kanpur Dehat district where Pukhrayan village is located.

Roughly 226 people were hurt, including 76 with serious injuries. — AP