Tracks were under repair: locals

The tracks near Khatauli railway station in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, where Haridwar-bound Puri-Haridwar Kalinga-Utkal Express train derailed on Saturday evening, were under repair, according to the local residents.

The residents of Jagatpur Colony claimed that the repair work on the tracks had been going on for the past several days, but there was no signboard there.

Senior police officials here also admitted that repair work was on at the tracks near Khatauli.

Recovery of nuts, bolts and a hammer also lent credence to the claims about track repairs. They also said that the train was at a high speed when it jumped the rails. The train did not have a scheduled stoppage at Khatauli.

One of the derailed coaches rammed into a nearby house and a school in the colony, injuring several people. A few locals were also among the dead, sources said.