תאונת רכבת בהודו. ארכיון
תאונת רכבת בהודו. ארכיוןצילום: רויטרס

One hundred and fifteen bodies have been recovered thus far from a train that skidded off the tracks in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

Officials say the death toll is likely to rise considerable as rescue workers begin to reach the back sections of the train, which were the most heavily damaged in the accident.

More than 150 people were injured in the accident, and 72 of them have been listed in serious condition.

Railway officials report that fourteen of the train's carriages were thrown off the track 65 kilometers south of Kanpur City in Pukhrayan. The track is one of northern India's main transportation routes for both passengers and cargo.

Roughly 500 passengers were on board when the train derailed.

New Delhi senior railway official Anil Saxena told Reuters that, "Still many more passengers are trapped."

Director General Daljeet Singh Choudhary said, "Our aim is to rush all the injured to the hospital in the next two hours, and we are seeking help from private hospitals."

Indian Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted that the government would immediately investiage the causes of the derailment and promised accountability with "the strictest possible action."

Though India's railway system is one of the world's largest, thousands of people die each year in train derailments.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Anguished beyond words on the loss of lives due to the derailing of the Patna-Indore express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families."