JOIN US133 killed as train derails in UP
At least 133 people, including women and children, were killed and over 200 injured, some seriously, when an express train derailed near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred around 3 am, when the Patna-bound Indore-Rajendra Nagar Express crossed Pukhrayan Railway Station and neared the outer signal, according to the railway officials.
The death toll could go up as several people were still believed to be trapped inside the mangled coaches. Rescue teams were trying to bring them out by cutting the coaches from the roofs with the help of cold cutters, the officials said.
The enormity of the accident could be gauged from the fact that two AC and two sleeper coaches climbed over each other. In all, 14 coaches jumped rails, the officials said.
The worst affected were B-2 and BE-1, and S-1 and 2 coaches. “Most of the casualty is from the S-1 and 2 sleeper coaches,” Arvind Shukla, a railway official at Pukhrayan, told DH.
Officials said that over 100 bodies have already been recovered from the affected coaches and rescue teams were looking for survivors in the mangled coaches. So far, around 63 bodies have been identified. Most of the victims were from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
NDRF teams were carrying out relief and rescue operations on a war footing with modern gadgets, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said. “It is a big tragedy... we will investigate it and take suitable action, but right now the priority is providing relief to the injured... we have mobilised all our resources,” Prabhu said.
Movement of trains in the section came to a complete halt and many long-distance trains were diverted or cancelled midway, sources said.
The injured were rushed to the district hospital at Mati, a few kilometres away from the spot, and other private hospitals. Those grievously injured were sent to Hallet Hospital at Kanpur. “Many have injuries on chest, abdomen, face and legs...,” said Dr Amar Chandra at the district hospital.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the dead.
Prime minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those killed, and Rs 50,000 for those severely injured. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu also announced an ex-gratia to the victims of the accident: Rs.3.5 lakh in case of death and Rs 50,000 in case of grievous injury and Rs 25,000 in case of simple injury.
“This is in addition to the compensation which will be available through Railway Claims Tribunal,” Prabhu said.