20 killed in MP train accident
At least 20 people were killed and about 50 were injured when the Indore-Gwalior Intercity express collided into a goods train at Bhaderwah railway station in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh early Monday morning.
Till late in the evening, rescue operations were on and officials stated that the death toll was likely to rise further. According to preliminary investigations, the accident was caused as the goods train came on the wrong track and after overshooting the red signal hit the stationary Indore-Gwalior Intercity Express amid heavy rains and poor visibility in the early hours on Monday.
The impact of the collision was so strong that a large number of passengers were stuck in their bogies and the rescue teams were finding it difficult to reach them. Two front bogies of the Express Train have been badly damaged in the accident. The rescue operations, that continued throughout the day, were affected due to continuous rain. "The accident took place around 4.45 am when the freight train of North-Central Railway was on the wrong track and hit the stationary passenger train on the front at Badarwas station," stated Shivpuri collector Rajkumar Pathak.
"Just before the mishap, the goods train driver jumped off from the locomotive and fled," Mr Pathak claimed.
"The station master of Badarwas, who had apparently fled the scene after the accident, has now been traced and his blood sample has been taken to ascertain reports after liquor bottles were found in his chamber," sources said.
Railway Board officials said 11 of the 20 victims have been identified and efforts were on to identify the remaining nine.
Meanwhile, railway minister Mamata Banerjee described the accident as "most unfortunate" and announced an ex-gratia relief of `5 lakhs for the next kin of the dead, `1 lakhs for those gravely injured and `50,000 for minor injuries. She also ordered a high-level inquiry into the train accident which the commissioner of railway safety, central circle, Mumbai, Chetan Bakshi will head. "The committee has been asked to probe the train accident and submit the preliminary report within a fortnight," sources stated. Minister of state for railways K.H. Muniyappa has already left for the accident site along with senior railway officials. Madhya Pradesh governor Rameshwar Thakur and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have expressed grief over the accident.
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