JOIN USThe ministry of railways is yet to ascertain the cause of the Gorakhdham Express accident at Churen station in Sant Kabir Nagar of Uttar Pradesh.
“We will be able to comment only after officials are back from the accident site. Member Mechanical of Railway Board Alok Johri and Member Engineering V K Gupta have gone to the accident site. They will make a preliminary study of the reasons behind the accident.
The detailed investigation would be done at the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS) of North East Circle,” a ministry official told Deccan Herald.
The Director General of Health R Prashad is also accompanying Railway Board members, the official said. The official said that Chairman Railway Board Arunendra Kumar had talked to local officials to inquire about the issue.
The ministry has declared compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the families of deceased; Rs 50,000 to persons with serious injuries and Rs 10,000 to persons with minor injuries.
Modi condoles
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his condolences to the families of those killed in the accident and instructed the Cabinet Secretary to monitor the relief operations. “My condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the Gorakhdham Express tragedy. Prayers with the injured,” he tweeted.
“Spoke to the Cabinet Secretary. Asked him to take an overview of the situation and ensure timely assistance to those injured,” he added.
President Pranab Mukherjee, outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also condoled the deaths.