People gather around the wreckage of the Kalka Mail passenger train which derailed near the town of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh state, July 10. The packed train was on its way to New Delhi from Howrah, a station near Kolkata, when its 12 coaches and the engine jumped the tracks. Dozens of people died and more than 100 are injured, according to officials. (AP Photo)
Fatehpur (U.P.), July 10 (PTI): At least 35 people were killed and over 200 injured when 15 bogies of a speeding Delhi-bound Kalka Mail derailed in Fatehpur on Sunday in the worst train accident this year. The derailment took place at 12.20 p.m. when the packed train from Howrah reached near Malwan station, about 120 km from Lucknow. “15 bogies of the train derailed out of which 10 are in bad shape. The exact cause of the derailment is being ascertained. The Commissioner of Railway Safety has been directed to probe the incident,” General Manager, North Central Railway H.C. Joshi said. He said the train was speeding at about 108 kmph when the accident occurred. “It was almost moving at the speed of 108 kmph which is full speed,” Mr. Joshi said. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Fatehpur, K.N. Joshi said 35 of the passengers had died. “About 200 injured are undergoing treatment here.” “Rescue workers have not been able to enter two of the bogies,” Superintendent of Police, Fatehpur, Ram Bharose said, adding the dead included women and children. While some of the bogies had toppled, others were turned into mangled heap of metal. The crowded general compartment behind the engine was the worst hit. Gas cutters and other equipment were used to cut through the metal in the AC and other coaches to rescue the trapped passengers.
“A number of passengers are still inside the bogies and attempts are on to take them out,” officials said several hours after the accident. Local residents, railway and district authorities immediately launched the rescue operation. The Army has also sent about 120 personnel from adjoining Allahabad and Kanpur to assist them. A team of National Disaster Relief Force was also deployed. Two relief trains — one each from Allahabad and Kanpur — have reached the spot. Another relief train was also sent from Delhi, Minister of State for Railways Mukul Roy said, adding helplines have been opened at both the Howrah and Delhi stations.
Roy said families of the dead would be given an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh, while the seriously injured would get Rs. 1 lakh and those with minor injuries would be given Rs. 25,000. “Instructions have been issued to rush the injured to the nearest hospital or nursing homes at the earliest. The Railways would bear the cost of their treatment,” Mr. Roy said. Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal has rushed to the accident site along with the board’s Member (Mechanical) and Member (Electrical) as well as other senior railway officials from the North Central Railways (NCR) headquarters. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who recently resigned as the Railway Minister, was keeping a watch on the situation, Mr. Roy said, adding, “She has also spoken to me.”
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the driver of the train was among those injured in the mishap. Anxious relatives and friends of the passengers, many of them in tears, gathered at Howrah, Kanpur and other stations to enquire about the fate of their loved ones. However, they faced a difficult time as information was trickling in at a slow pace. The Eastern Railway said it will run a special train from Howrah to take relatives of passengers to Malwan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed deep sorrow and shock at the loss of lives in the rail accident and directed the Railway Ministry to deploy all available resources in the area for rescue and relief operations.
Dr. Singh also spoke to the Minister of State for Railways about the incident. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has condoled the loss of lives and announced compensation of Rs. 1 lakh each to the kin of those who died, Rs. 50,000 to seriously injured and Rs. 25,000 for those having minor injuries. The mishap led to disruption of railway traffic on the Allahabad-Kanpur route leading to the cancellation of a couple of trains and diversion of several others. The Allahabad-Meerut Sangam Express, both up and down, have been cancelled. Besides, trains running on the down route are now being run via Lucknow. A couple of helicopters have been despatched to the site of the incident to airlift the injured, Defence spokesman Group Captain Amit Mahajan told PTI.
“Following a request from the Railway authorities, two helicopter have been flown in from the Central Air Command headquarters at Allahabad to the site of the mishap in Fatehpur,” he said. Besides, the Red Eagle Division of the Indian Army has also sent a team of engineers for carrying out relief work.
“A number of passengers are still inside the bogies and attempts are on to take them out,” officials said several hours after the accident. Local residents, railway and district authorities immediately launched the rescue operation. The Army has also sent about 120 personnel from adjoining Allahabad and Kanpur to assist them. A team of National Disaster Relief Force was also deployed. Two relief trains — one each from Allahabad and Kanpur — have reached the spot. Another relief train was also sent from Delhi, Minister of State for Railways Mukul Roy said, adding helplines have been opened at both the Howrah and Delhi stations.
Roy said families of the dead would be given an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh, while the seriously injured would get Rs. 1 lakh and those with minor injuries would be given Rs. 25,000. “Instructions have been issued to rush the injured to the nearest hospital or nursing homes at the earliest. The Railways would bear the cost of their treatment,” Mr. Roy said. Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal has rushed to the accident site along with the board’s Member (Mechanical) and Member (Electrical) as well as other senior railway officials from the North Central Railways (NCR) headquarters. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who recently resigned as the Railway Minister, was keeping a watch on the situation, Mr. Roy said, adding, “She has also spoken to me.”
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the driver of the train was among those injured in the mishap. Anxious relatives and friends of the passengers, many of them in tears, gathered at Howrah, Kanpur and other stations to enquire about the fate of their loved ones. However, they faced a difficult time as information was trickling in at a slow pace. The Eastern Railway said it will run a special train from Howrah to take relatives of passengers to Malwan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed deep sorrow and shock at the loss of lives in the rail accident and directed the Railway Ministry to deploy all available resources in the area for rescue and relief operations.
Dr. Singh also spoke to the Minister of State for Railways about the incident. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has condoled the loss of lives and announced compensation of Rs. 1 lakh each to the kin of those who died, Rs. 50,000 to seriously injured and Rs. 25,000 for those having minor injuries. The mishap led to disruption of railway traffic on the Allahabad-Kanpur route leading to the cancellation of a couple of trains and diversion of several others. The Allahabad-Meerut Sangam Express, both up and down, have been cancelled. Besides, trains running on the down route are now being run via Lucknow. A couple of helicopters have been despatched to the site of the incident to airlift the injured, Defence spokesman Group Captain Amit Mahajan told PTI.
“Following a request from the Railway authorities, two helicopter have been flown in from the Central Air Command headquarters at Allahabad to the site of the mishap in Fatehpur,” he said. Besides, the Red Eagle Division of the Indian Army has also sent a team of engineers for carrying out relief work.
Trapped passengers smash windows to wriggle to safety
Fatehpur, July 10 (PTI): Trapped passengers screaming for help, overturned compartments and luggage strewn across the area — this was the scene at the site of the derailment of Delhi-bound Kalka Mail. Desperate to get out of the mangled compartments, some of the passengers were seen smashing the window panes as they tried to wriggle to safety. Fifteen out of the total 24 compartments derailed in the accident of which 10 bore the maximum brunt. Of these, six air-conditioned coaches were affected.
While an AC 3-tier coach had turned turtle, another coach was pushed to its top with the impact of the train speeding at about 108 km per hour. Two other AC coaches banged against each other and stood almost vertically. The derailment took place at 12.20 p.m. when the packed train from Howrah reached near Malwan station, about 120 km from Lucknow. Some of the injured passengers were seen coming out of the train in a dazed state with their clothes torn and wounds all over. They also appealed to their family members for help through television channels.
A resident of Howrah said it looked like that the driver of the train tried to apply the breaks while at great speed but in vain. Anoop Patel, a local resident, said the villagers did not wait for the rescuers to come to the spot and started helping the passengers. “I myself pulled three people out of the train. They were screaming for help...,” he said.
Fatehpur, July 10 (PTI): Trapped passengers screaming for help, overturned compartments and luggage strewn across the area — this was the scene at the site of the derailment of Delhi-bound Kalka Mail. Desperate to get out of the mangled compartments, some of the passengers were seen smashing the window panes as they tried to wriggle to safety. Fifteen out of the total 24 compartments derailed in the accident of which 10 bore the maximum brunt. Of these, six air-conditioned coaches were affected.
While an AC 3-tier coach had turned turtle, another coach was pushed to its top with the impact of the train speeding at about 108 km per hour. Two other AC coaches banged against each other and stood almost vertically. The derailment took place at 12.20 p.m. when the packed train from Howrah reached near Malwan station, about 120 km from Lucknow. Some of the injured passengers were seen coming out of the train in a dazed state with their clothes torn and wounds all over. They also appealed to their family members for help through television channels.
A resident of Howrah said it looked like that the driver of the train tried to apply the breaks while at great speed but in vain. Anoop Patel, a local resident, said the villagers did not wait for the rescuers to come to the spot and started helping the passengers. “I myself pulled three people out of the train. They were screaming for help...,” he said.
