Scan to Download
“We are focusing on rescue and relief operations right now. Railway Accident Medical van, along with team of doctors, are at site. Two teams of NDRF have also reached the spot,” Smita Vats Sharma, Additional Director General PR (Rail) told ANI.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the Seemachal Express derailment and has directed the administration to provide adequate assistance for rescue and relief operations, reported ANI.
All passenger trains on the route have been cancelled after Seemachal Express derailed in Bihar's Sahadai Buzurg earlier this morning.
Trains for Chapra have been diverted via Muzaffarpur (MFP)-Chapra, reported ANI.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal is reportedly in touch with Railway Board members and General Manager of East Central Railway (ECR) regarding the accident.
“He has expressed profound grief over loss of innocent lives in this tragic accident and wished speedy recovery for injured,” reported ANI.
A least 24 people have been injured in the accident, Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh Dhillon told PTI.
The injured were rushed to a hospital here, where the doctors referred the seriously wounded to Muzaffarpur and Patna.
One more person has died in the train derailment, taking the death toll to seven, reported ANI.
The Railways announced that they would give ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs each to the kin of every deceased, Rs. 1 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs. 50,000 to those who suffered minor injuries.
All medical expenses will also be borne by the Railways, reported ANI.
Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the derailment of coaches of the Seemanchal Express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Railways, NDRF, and local authorities are providing all possible assistance in the wake of the accident.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 3, 2019
The Bihar government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of every deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
The State Disaster Response Force told ANI that the identities of 6 out of the seven victims have been ascertained.
“Three are from Bengal and Khagaria (Bihar) each. The state government has done the arrangements for the bodies to be sent to their families in Bengal and Khagaria after post-mortem,” an official said.
Opposition leaders in Bihar on Sunday squarely blamed the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for the train mishap at Vaishali district where the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express jumped the tracks killing six people.
However, former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan hit back claiming that rail tracks across the country were under tremendous pressure because of "reckless increase in number of bogies" that took place while RJD supremo Lalu Prasad was the railway minister.
"This government has misplaced priorities. It is trying to introduce bullet trains, running at very high speeds with the help of sophisticated technology. On the other hand, there is a crying need for proper upkeep of ordinary trains like the Seemanchal Express," Loktantrik Janta Dal leader and former Union minister Sharad Yadav said.
Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also held the Modi government responsible for the mishap and demanded a hefty compensation of "Rupees one crore to the next of the kin of each deceased and Rs 20 lakh to each injured passenger." Bihar Congress working president Kaukab Qadri issued a statement seeking the resignation of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
