Probe launched

India yesterday began investigating a train crash in which 23 people were killed, the fourth major accident over the past year on the world's fourth biggest rail network.

The cause of the derailment about 130 km north of the capital New Delhi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was not known, said Northern Railways spokesman Neeraj Sharma. Sharma said rescue operations had ended.

Thirteen coaches of the train came off the tracks as it was heading to the Hindu holy city of Haridwar, police said.

The cause of the accident was not known but a member of the railway board told reporters there was information that the derailment happened because of some repair work on the track.