At least 17 people were killed and more than 80 injured when a passenger train ? Sabarmati Express, collided head-on with a freight train, police and officials said.The train accident took place near near Samaliya village in Vadodara district, Gujarat in the wee hours yesterday, a Railway Police official said. ?Several passengers are killed as the coaches have also been derailed,? Railway Superintendent of police SP Gehlot said. Several rescue workers, including the railway police and fire brigade, have rushed to the site and are trying to extricate the passengers trapped inside the derailed coaches. Ambulances have been rushed to the site from Ahmedabad and other places. The injured were being moved to hospitals in Vadodara and Halol.

Western Railways spokesman Shailendra Kumar said the driver of the Sabarmati Express and his assistant were among those killed in the accident. Seven bodies, including that of the driver and his assistant, have been recovered, he added, adding another body was seen lying in one of the mangled coaches. Some passengers were still said to be trapped in the mangled coaches and efforts were being made to rescue them, officials said. The accident occurred at around 0310 IST when most of the passengers were sleeping, officials said.?We have recovered eight bodies and three more are visible trapped in the coaches,? said Director General of Police AK Bhargav. ?The toll may not be more than 15.? Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi told television channels that according to initial information received from the accident site, more than 80 people were injured. He did not give a death toll. ?It?s a big accident. A lot of damage is expected,? Modi said.

<I>Source: Times of India</I>