ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

12 killed as express jumps tracks

Removal of fish plates led to the packed Howrah-Danapur Express jumping tracks, killing 12 passengers and injuring more than 50 others near Fatuha station on the Eastern Railway's Danapur division this morning.

'' Prima facie, the cause of the accident is removal of fish plates on the right side of the tracks,'' railway officials said.

In all, nine bogies derailed disrupting traffic.

While 11 passengers died on the spot, one succumbed to injuries in Patna Medical College hospital.

The injured were rushed to the PMC hospital, Nalanda Medical College hospital and a hospital in Patna, about 20 km from the accident site. The remaining passengers were taken to Patna by a special train.

Repair work on the damaged portion of the tracks was being carried out on a war footing. ''Traffic on the section is expected to be restored by 1000 hr tomorrow,'' the officials said.

Railway Board chairman V K Agarwal and Eastern Railway general manager S Ramanathan reached the spot to supervising relief and rescue operations. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar also visited the accident site, which falls under his Barh Lok Sabha constituency..

The railway authorities have announced compensation of Rs 15,000 to the family of those killed, Rs 5,000 to the seriously injured and Rs 500 to those who sustained minor injuries.

A departmental inquiry has been order to ascertain the cause of the accident.

A correspondent who visited the spot found mangled bogies. Local people went to the rescue of passengers before the railway authorities could reach the spot.

Minor Irrigation Minister Vijay Krishna, who returned from the spot, demanded the resignation of the railway minister on moral ground for his failure to provide safety to passengers and check track maintenance.

The 5621 NE Express and 4083 Mahananda Express have been diverted to run via Chhapra, Balia, Varanasi and Allahabad. The 4085 Brahmaputra Mail, the Bhagalpur-Dadar Express, the 2303 Poorva Express, the 3005/3006 Howrah-Amritsar Mail, the 3073/3074 Himgiri Express and the 3007 Udyan Abha Toofan express will run via Kiul and Gaya.

The 2424 Guwahati Rajdhani express will run via Kanpur, Lucknow and Barabanki, the 5622 NE Express and 4084 Mahananda Express via Allahabad and Varanasi, the 4056 Brahmaputra Mail via Gaya and Kiul and the 3122 Delhi-Sealdah Lalquila Express via Patna, Gaya and Kiul stations.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report