HEAVY casualties feared as three train coaches fall into river

Friday, June 22nd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PALGHAT, India (AP) _ Three cars of a passenger train derailed and plunged from a bridge into a swollen river in southern India on Friday, injuring more than 200 people, officials said.

A local television network said at least 30 passengers were feared drowned and that casualties could be much higher. There was no official confirmation of the deaths as heavy monsoon rains had snapped all phone lines to the area.

The last three cars of the Mangalore-Chennai Mail fell more than 100 feet into the Kadalundi River between the towns of Parappanangadi and Kozhikode as the train was passing over a bridge, officials said. One of the cars was reserved for women.

Three other cars derailed and were hanging from the 1,200-foot-long bridge that spans the river at the point where it flowed into the Arabian Sea in Kerala state.

The train was headed to the southern Indian city of Madras from the southwestern port city of Mangalore.

The Kairali news channel showed footage of wet and bleeding victims being rushed to hospitals in Kozhikode.

Officials said rescue work was being hampered by heavy rains.