India express train in Bihar kills people crossing track

 

At least 15 people have died after being hit by an express train while crossing the tracks at a remote train station in the Indian state of Bihar, local officials say.

The passengers, mostly Hindu pilgrims, had just alighted from a local train at Dhamara Ghat station and were on their way to a temple in Saharsa district.

They were hit by the Rajya Rani Express travelling on the opposite track.

An angry crowd is said to have beaten the driver and set two coaches on fire.

Senior railway official Arun Malik, who is on his way to the site, told the BBC that rescue operations were under way.

The toll is likely to go up as dozens of others are reported to be injured.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the incident and ordered district officials to the scene.

India's state-owned railway network is vast - it operates 9,000 passenger trains and carries some 18 million passengers every day.

Last year, railway officials said train accidents in India had killed 1,220 people over the past five years.