A flash flood swept away a small rail bridge, and a "Delta Fast Passenger" train traveling on it derailed at the broken section of the line, killing at least 114 people and injuring over 200.
The train was traveling south at night, packed with hundreds of sleeping holiday makers visiting relatives for Diwali, when a huge irrigation tank situated upstream from the rail lines ruptured, sending thousands of gallons of water down the channel, destroying the bridge in the darkness.
In the day following the accident, the Indian Navy supplied divers, who dove into the flood waters with blow torches to try to rescue people who might have been trapped in air pockets in the sunken carriages.
The Indian Army and Air Force also provided assistance with rescue, medical and heavy lift helicopters, by collecting bodies and maintaining security at the site.
The area had been lashed by monsoon rains for several weeks before the accident, which had waterlogged fields and over-filled the irrigation tank, which had ruptured due to unknown factors exacerbated by the heavy rainfall.