At least 116 passengers died and over 200 injured when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhraya in Kanpur Dehat district in the early hours of Sunday due to suspected rail fracture.
This is the worst rail accident in a decade. In October 2005, 114 commuters died in the Valigoda train disaster, after the track between Valigonda and Ramannapet was washed away due to flash floods caused by breach to an irrigation tank nearby.
Four coaches of the train - S1, S2, S3, S4- were badly damaged in the mishap that took place at around 3:00 am near Pukhraya. Most of the passengers were jolted out of their sleep to find themselves among mangled remains of the bogies.
By evening, 116 bodies were recovered and most of them taken to Mati mortuary in Kanpur rural, according to Inspector General (Kanpur range) Zaki Ahmad.
Six passengers, who were trapped in the mangled bogies, were also feared dead, he said.
Among the dead, 43 have been identified, of which 20 are from Uttar Pradesh, 15 from Madhya Pradesh and six from Bihar and one each from Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Post mortem of 27 identified bodies has been done and they were being handed over to the families. Ambulance facilities were also being provided to the families of the victims to transport the bodies, officials said.
76 passengers were seriously injured in the derailment, Inspector General (Kanpur range) Zaki Ahmad said. 150 other passengers received minor injuries in the mishap.
"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," Ahmad said.
Officials said that prima facie the cause of the accident could be due to track fracture. Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha told reporters at the spot that it seems the cause of the accident is rail fracture.
Member (Engineering) will find out the cause of the mishap and action will be taken against those responsible, Sinha added.
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 was 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 are 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.
Talking to reporters at the site of the derailment, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said the government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured, and they will be provided with the best facilities. Sinha also said that two trains, one to Indore and one to Patna respectively, will take passengers to their destination.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grief over the loss of lives in the derailment of the train.
Meanwhile, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the train tragedy.
Rs 3.5 lakh exgratia will be given for the families of those killed in the derailment and Rs 50,000 for those grievously injured, he said.
Rescue Efforts Underway
With several passengers feared trapped, rescue personnel employed cold cutters to break open the compartments as gas cutters produced excessive heat and suffocation hampering their efforts. A number of trapped passengers were rescued.
A team of Army doctors and rescue officials have arrived at the spot. Over 250 police officials are also involved in carrying out the rescue and relief operations.
Meanwhile, NDRF Director General R K Pachnanda told PTI that a total of five teams of the special rescue force, comprising 45 personnel each, have been pressed into action at the accident site.
"The rescue teams are deploying cutters and hydraulic equipment to ensure that all the trapped passengers are evacuated safely from the rail bogies," Pachnanda, who has reached the accident site, said.
"As the victims are trapped inside the bogies, due care and diligence is being taken into consideration, Pachnanda added.
NDRF responders are making all possible efforts to rescue the trapped victims with the help of multi-types of latest disaster management gadgets and tools. So far, NDRF has rescued 53 passengers including 16 badly trapped from the bogies.
The operation is still in progress. Some additional teams are also put on stand by and shall be mobilised as per demand," the Force said in a statement.
Railways has also released helpline numbers -- Indore- 07411072, Ujjain- 07342560906, Ratlam- 074121072, Orai- 051621072, Jhansi- 05101072, Pokhraya- 05113270239.
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