Rail mishap: traffic restored

Traffic on the rail track between Anekal and Hosur near Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, disrupted by the derailment of the Ernakulam-bound Express train that claimed nine lives, was restored today.

"Yes, the (accident) site has been cleared and the route has been restored (for traffic) this morning," Divisional Railway Manager (Bangalore) Anil Kumar Agarwal told PTI.

He also said the toll stood at nine and the injured were being treated at hospitals.Investigations were on to ascertain the cause of the derailment, he added.

Nine passengers were killed and 18 were seriously injured when nine bogies of Bangalore-Ernakulam Inter-city Express derailed near Anekal, about 45 kms from here, yesterday. The victims included three women and a nine-year-old boy.

The daily train had derailed nearly 80 minutes after departure from Bengaluru between Anekal Road and Hosur on Bangalore City-Salem Section, resulting in either full or partial cancellation or diversion of several trains.

"Prima-facie cause of the derailment was a boulder on the track," an official statement had said.

An inquiry into the mishap is being conducted by Commissioner Railway Safety S K Mittal.