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Passenger train derails in northern India; 42 hurt

GAUHATI, India (AP) — A passenger train derailed in northeastern India early Wednesday, and dozens of passengers suffered mostly minor injuries.

The engine and nine of the train's 13 coaches jumped the track near the Jagiroad station, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) east of Gauhati, the capital of Assam, state-owned Indian Railways said in a statement.

The cause of the derailment was not known, but railway authorities ordered an investigation.

Six of the injured passengers were hospitalized, while 36 others suffered minor injuries and were allowed to go home after receiving medical attention, the statement said, adding that 170 passengers escaped unharmed.

Eight trains were canceled and six were stopped short of their destination Wednesday because the derailment damaged the tracks. Indian Railways expected services to be restored overnight.

Railway accidents are common in India, which has one of the world's largest train networks and serves 20 million passengers a day.