At least 32 dead after train catches fire in India

Hyderabad, India: A government press statement says at least 32 people have died after several coaches of a train caught fire in southern India.

The statement from the federal railway ministry says eight others were injured and have been taken to a local hospital. There were no details about the cause of the fire.

Local police official V.C. Sajjanar had said earlier that the Gautami Express caught fire early on Friday morning while it was roughly 124 miles north of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state.

Sajjanar said the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit in the train's wiring.

He said the passengers pulled the chain to stop the train as soon as the fire broke out and passengers jumped out of the car.