45 killed as Indore-Patna Express derails; PM condoles loss of lives

Kanpur:At least 45 people were killed and over 150 injured when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhrayan in Kanpur dehat district in the wee hours today.

The mishap took place at around 3 AM near Pukhrayan, about 100 kms from here, when the passengers were fast asleep.

“As of now 45 persons have died in the incident,” UP ADG, Law and Order, Daljeet Chowdhury said.

“Over 150 injured people have been rushed to nearby hospitals in the area. All hospitals have been asked to be alert. More than 30 ambulances have been pressed into service,” IG (Kanpur range) Zaki Ahmed told PTI.

Over 250 police officials are involved in carrying out the rescue and relief operations.

Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the train tragedy.

“All rescue relief work is on to deal with the unfortunate accident. All medical and other help rushed.

Inquiry ordered. Situation monitored closely,” Prabhu said in a tweet.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has instructed the DGP to personally monitor the relief operations and deploy traffic police along the route of the mishap site to ensure green corridor for ambulances to reach hospitals quickly.

Kanpur district officials have been instructed to take support of Indian Medical Association to avail the services of more doctors for extending medical support to train accident patients, the CM said.

More ambulances/roadways buses have been rushed to the spot for speedy relief operations, the CM said.

DG Health & ADG (Law and Order) have also been rushed to the accident spot to monitor the relief operations.

Railways Ministry spokesperson Anil Saxena said several people have been rushed to nearby hospitals with injuries, and the casualties may go up.

Accident relief train has been rushed to the spot, he said.

Northern Central Railways spokesperson Vijay Kumar said that doctors and senior railway officials have reached the spot. Rescue and relief operations were being carried out by district administration and railway officials.

Though the cause of the derailment was not known immediately, sources said the nature and timing shows that the accident was caused by a rail fracture.

However, the exact reason would be known only after an inquiry.

Buses have been pressed into service to help passengers complete their journey, Kumar said, adding that the S2 coach was severely damaged. Four AC coaches have also been derailed.

Railways have made available the following helpline numbers — Indore-07411072, Ujjain- 07342560906, Ratlam- 074121072, Orai-051621072, Jhansi- 05101072, Pokhraya- 05113270239.

PM condoles loss of lives in derailment, announces ex-gratia

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grief over the loss of lives in the derailment of the Patna-Indore Express and announced compensation for the next of kin of those killed and injured in the mishap.

“Anguished beyond words on the loss of lives due to the derailing of the Patna-Indore express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said in a tweet.

The Prime Minister said that Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu is personally monitoring the situation.

“Prayers with those injured in the tragic train accident.

I’ve spoken to @sureshpprabhu, who is personally monitoring the situation closely,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the mishap from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

This is over and above any assistance announced by the railways.

96 passengers were killed and 226 injured, 76 of them seriously, when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhraya in Kanpur dehat district in the wee hours today.

Rail fracture suspected to be cause of derailment

New Delhi:The train tragedy near Kanpur that left close to 100 dead could have been caused due to rail fracture, according to sources in the railways.

While the exact cause of the Kanpur accident will be ascertained after the inquiry report, prima facie it indicates towards rail fracture, the sources said.

Casualties also increased due to absence of modern Linke Holfmann Bush (LHB) coaches in the train, the sources added.

Had there been stainless steel LHB coaches, then the damage could have been less as these coaches have more in-built safety features which can absorb shock and impact of derailment more effectively and as a result do not topple, they said.

The accident comes at a time when railways are undertaking a massive brainstorming exercise to generate new innovative ideas to improve rail functioning and making the train journey a pleasant experience.

Fourteen coaches of Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhrayan in Kanpur claiming 96 lives so far.

This is the second derailment in two days as the four coaches of the Bhatinda-Jodhpur passenger train derailed yesterday at about 2 AM leaving a dozen passengers injured in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who has rushed to the site to monitor the situation at ground zero, ordered an inquiry into the accident which will be undertaken by Commissioner Railway Safety (Northern region).

“Inquiry team will start investigation into cause of accident immediately. All necessary assistance provided to the affected, we are taking care,” Prabhu has tweeted.

Poor track maintenance including lack of proper fittings and ballast on the railway lines causes fracture on the tracks.

While a simple crack on track may not be of much concern, a severe fracture causing separation of the track could lead to derailment of trains. .

According to railway engineering department responsible for track maintenance, extreme weather condition is the primary reason for rail fractures. While the track breaks due to coefficient of linear expansion in summer, the same happens in winter due to contraction.

However, a senior railway official in Railway Safety wing said lack of proper maintenance is the major reason for rail fracture and weather condition could only aggravate the situation.

TMS (track maintenance service) a new software, has been launched by Prabhu recently to monitor track maintenance round-the-clock.

Despite the Minister’s directive, the access to TMS is denied to safety wing and as a result, the monitoring mechanism becomes a closely guarded secret defeating the very purpose of the launching of the software application, the official said.

Though railways have decided to replace all conventional coaches with modern LHB coaches gradually, the process will take time.

PTI