Three railway workers working on a railway track were on Wednesday crushed to death by a speeding train near a railway station in West Bengal, an official said. The accident occurred near the Bali railway station in the Howrah district. "A team of about 10 gangmen were repairing rail tracks near Bali station when a speeding express train suddenly entered the line. While seven were able to jump off the tracks in time, three men - Chandrashekhar Yadav, Ranji Goala and Dilip - were hit by the train," Government Railway Police (GRP) official Debabrata Chakraborty told reporters.

"They died on the spot," Chakraborty said.

The GRP official said the tracks were not closed, as the repair works were not major ones.

"Generally the tracks are not closed if the repairing works are not major ones. Two-three gangmen keep watch on the trains and warn others who work on the tracks. But on Wednesday's accident took place as two trains passed simultaneously and the gangmen were confused about the tracks they will pass through," Chakraborty said.

All those killed were residents of Howrah.