Indian runaway train takes 70-kilometre journey without a driver

Indian Railways said Monday it had ordered an investigation after a runaway freight train loaded with gravel travelled 70 kilometres without a driver.

Around 50 carriages set off solo, careering from the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, before being brought to a halt by wooden blocks placed on the tracks on Sunday. The train, running at 100 kilometres per hour, was captured in a video that went viral on social media.

The incident happened after the train stopped at a railway station in Jammu for a crew change, local media reports said. But it began moving down a slope after the driver and his assistant got off. All road crossings on the route were closed to prevent accidents.