Passengers reported that within three to five seconds, they felt the carriage suddenly jerk and then the train came to a screeching halt with a loud crash.
The Karnataka Fire Department and voluntary rescue workers arrived at the scene minutes later and began removing survivors from the coaches.
[8] A preliminary report was issued 17 March 2015 by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) which stated the cause was a broken rail.
[9] The labour union representing the Pilot, The All India Loco Running Staff Association, strongly objected to this assignment of blame.
They state that since the train was operated at 63 kilometres per hour (39 mph), far below the speed limit, their driver cannot have any responsibility for the incident.