Indian train collision kills at least 25 people

At least 25 people were killed and more than 250 injured today when two trains collided in the northern Indian state of Punjab…

At least 25 people were killed and more than 250 injured today when two trains collided in the northern Indian state of Punjab.

More than 250 people were injured, according to the Punjab police. A railway spokesman said fog could have played a role in the accident.

The head-on collision apparently occurred because of a "communications snag" between two station masters who allowed the trains to travel on the same track toward each other, the spokesman said.

The crash occurred along a rural stretch of track near the village of Mukrian, between the cities of Pathankot and Jalandhar in India 's northern Punjab province, about 180 miles northwest of New Delhi.

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Fog can be a major problem in north India during the winter, causing car and train accidents and grounding airline flights.

Railway accidents are fairly frequent on India 's state-run system, which operates 7,000 passenger trains a day.

The sprawling Indian rail network is 67,000 miles long and is the world's second largest after China's.