Lucknow: Almost a month after the death of ten passengers when a goods train had rammed into Kanchanjunga Express near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, three passengers were killed and around 33 others injured when 15904 Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express train, on way to Dibrugarh, derailed near Mankapur railway station in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, about 150 kilometres from here, on Thursday.
UP deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak, who also held the health portfolio, had earlier said that four people had been killed in the incident.
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According to the sources, 12 coaches, including some AC coaches, derailed near Jhilahi railway station on Gonda-Gorakhpur section around 3 PM. The injured were taken to a hospital in Mankapur. A doctor attending to the injured said that 28 injured were brought to the hospital. Six of the injured were stated to be in critical condition and were referred to higher medical centres. Most of the injured passengers were said to be travelling in the AC coaches.
A relief train was rushed to the spot along with ambulances, railway sources said. Railway and police officials have reached the spot and launched relief operations with the help of the local villagers, who gathered there in large numbers after the incident. An SDRF team also reached the spot and carried out relief operations, sources said, adding that gas cutters were used to bring out the passengers who were trapped in the derailed coaches.
North-Eastern Railway CPRO Pankaj Kumar said that the loco pilots had heard a loud sound before the coaches derailed. A high level probe had been ordered into the incident.The Railways has also issued helpline numbers.
The train had left Chandigarh at 2340 hours on Wednesday. Visuals showed the passengers walking along the tracks carrying their luggage. The visuals also showed passengers hurrying to come out of the derailed coaches. One of the eyewitnesses said that several passengers were trapped inside the derailed coaches. At least four coaches overturned after being derailed. A passenger said that the trains started shaking seconds before it derailed.
Gonda superintendent of police Vineet Jaiswal said that 10-12 coaches had derailed. ''All the injured have been admitted to the hospital....we have checked the derailed coaches...no one is trapped there,'' he added.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the officials to provide all possible medical help to the injured and launch relief operations immediately. Railways has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 2.5 lakh to the seriously injured.
Union minister of state for foreign affairs Kirtivardhan Singh, who visited the spot, said that all possible help was being provided to the passengers. ''We are making arrangements for further transportation of the stranded passengers....a special train is being sent from Ayodhya to take the passengers to their destinations,'' Singh said.
Railway officials said that the passengers bound for nearby places were being taken there by buses. Movement of trains on the section has come to a halt following the incident and efforts were on to clear the tracks, sources said. At least ten long distance trains were diverted in view of the incident.