UP train mishap toll mounts to 145

Tragedy on tracks: Casualties to go up as many injured are serious

The toll in the derailment of Indore-Rajendranagar (Patna) Express train at Pukhrayan in Uttar Pradesh, mounted to 145 with recovery of more bodies from the mangled coaches on Monday.

According to officials, the toll could rise further as many of the injured were stated to be in serious condition and were battling for their lives in hospitals.

Railway officials said that about 200 people were injured in the accident that occurred in the early hours of Sunday on the Kanpur-Jhansi section of the North Central Railway, about 175 km from Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh Police chief Javeed Ahmed on Monday said 145 people were killed. Officials said that so far 120 bodies have been identified and handed over to their kin after conducting post-mortem. The victims included 95 men, 46 women and four children. 

Around 12 bodies were recovered from the mangled coaches, the officials said, adding that some of the seriously wounded passengers succumbed to their injuries in the hospitals.

Search operations by the NDRF teams and other agencies were wrapped up on Monday about 40 hours after the derailment of 14 coaches of the train.

“No passenger is now trapped in the coaches,” said Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar after visiting the site on Monday.

The derailed coaches had been removed from the tracks, the movement of trains on the route continued to be affected.

Railway officials hoped to open the track for movement of trains in a day or two. Long distance trains were diverted to different routes following the mishap. Railway officials in Kanpur said a probe into the mishap has started.

The driver of the train was questioned by the officials, sources said. According to officials, the remaining passengers of the ill-fated train were sent to their respective destinations by special trains. The Railways has also issued passes to the injured passengers who were being treated at different hospitals. The passes were valid till November 26, said an official in Kanpur.

A majority of the injured were admitted at district hospital in Akbarpur, the headquarters of Kanpur Dehat district, and some private hospitals. The seriously wounded were admitted to Hallet hospital in Kanpur town.

Rescue workers had to use cold cutters to get inside the coaches to pull out the survivors and bodies.