Sultanpur/Pratapgarh (UP), Jan 20 : In a bizarre incident, around 200 people fell off the roof of a running train on Monday night in Uttar Pradesh. They were swept off by a tree branch.

Around 800 people were sitting atop the Saryu Express, which plies between Allahabad and Faizabad, when they were swept off by near Sultanpur.

The victim, all young men, were going from Allahabad for an Army recruitment drive. They were forced to ride on the train''s roof as there was no space inside the train.

"There was no space in the train so around 700-800 boys all of us were sitting on top of the train when suddenly a branch came and around 200 of them fell down. I also got injured in the incident," said Sanjay Singh, a victim.

The injured have been taken to hospitals in Pratapgarh and Sultanpur. Three people also lost their lives in the incident.

Meanwhile, the police conducted a search at the accident site to look for other victims.

Riding atop the train roof is not a new thing in India. In many small towns and cities and even rural areas, passengers travel atop trains in absence of proper reservation.

There have been instances in the past where people have fallen off the train roofs while traveling, but the number involved in this accident is quite large. (ANI)