Express train kills six in India

The Indian railways network is vast

Six people were run over by a passenger train while trying to cross a railway track near the Indian capital, Delhi.

The accident, involving the Delhi-Ajmer Shatabdi Express, took place in the town of Pataudi, rail officials said.

The train's engine failed due to the impact and it came to a halt. Angry locals then protested, surrounding the train and demanding compensation.

"The people were run over through their own negligence," Northern Railways spokesman Anant Swaroop told the BBC.

He said the victims had "trespassed" onto railway property.

"They were walking on the track and did not see the train approaching. Shatabdis are high-speed trains so it's not possible for the driver to apply brakes quickly," he said.

The accident took place at 0730 IST (0200 GMT) and the train finally left for Ajmer at 1315 (0745 GMT).

According to reports, the protesters dispersed after the government of the northern state of Haryana agreed to pay 500,000 rupees ($10,500) each to the families of the dead.

State-owned Indian Railways form an immense network connecting every corner of the country. Some 9,000 passenger trains carry 18 million passengers every day.