Bihar Train Disaster

Bihar train disaster, train wreck that killed hundreds of people on June 6, 1981, when a passenger train derailed on a bridge and plunged into the Baghmati River in the state of Bihar, northern India.

The passenger train was moving from Mansi to Saharsa when seven of the train’s nine cars fell into the river. The explanation for the train’s derailment is not entirely known. Some reports stated that the train’s engineer sharply applied the brakes to avoid hitting a cow that had walked onto the tracks. Slippery conditions caused by torrential rains also were likely a factor. The chances for a successful rescue were remote, as the monsoon rains made the river conditions deadly; moreover, help was not immediately available near the disaster site. When rescuers finally did arrive, they searched the area for survivors for several days. At least 250 fatalities were confirmed; hundreds more passengers were never found.