MP derailments could not have been avoided, says Railways

The Railways on Thursday termed “freak” incidents the derailment of two express trains in Madhya Pradesh, stating that the tragedy could not have been avoided as water from a rain-swollen river gushed 36-foot high, breaching tracks that were just 13 feet above the river bed.

As rescue operations in the twin derailment that killed 28 people were wound up, a top Railway official claimed that it could not have been averted despite the monsoon preparedness and described the accident as a “freak” incident. There was no defect in the rail bridge, nor there was any lack of monsoon preparedness, Railway Board Member (Engineering) V K Gupta told reporters in Delhi.