LUCKNOW: At Least 62 people were injured, about 30 of them critically, in a major rail accident, the second in less than a month, as 15 coaches of the Sealdah-Ajmer Express derailed at Rura, 56 km from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, at 5.20 am on Wednesday.
Initial reports had suggested that two persons were killed in the accident, but later they were found alive. Confirming the report, the UP DGP’s office issued a statement saying the two declared dead earlier were alive but critically injured. They were admitted in a Kanpur hospital and were undergoing treatment.
On a dense foggy morning, the coaches went off track when the train was crossing a bridge over a dry canal. Two coaches toppled off the bridge and fell on the canal bed. The cause of the derailment was yet to be ascertained. After the rescue operations were over and all the passengers trapped in the affected coaches saved, around 14 ambulances were deployed to ferry the injured to the Kanpur and Tundla hospitals which were kept on high alert.
Besides, an NDRF contingent was also rushed from Lucknow to assist in relief operations at the accident site.
“There was a big bang and my coach tilted in one direction. As I looked out of the window, I saw a number of coaches already lying beside the tracks,” said a passenger. On the other hand, others believed that it was a providential escape for them as they were travelling with pilgrims who were going to Ajmer Sharif and Parsvanath Temple in Rajasthan.
Ramayan Prasad, chief medical officer, Kanpur, said no deaths were reported in the accident. While 42 of the injured passengers were undergoing treatment at a district hospital in Kanpur Rural, 12 of the seriously injured were admitted in the Hallet Hospital at Kanpur.
“We are monitoring the situation and ensuring that all those injured in the accident get immediate medical attention and prompt treatment,” said Daljeet Chaudhary, ADG, law and order.
In the wake of the derailment on the main Delhi-Kanpur-Howrah line, a number of important trains, including the Swarna Shatabdi Express, were diverted via Moradabad, while others including the Kanpur-Delhi Shatabdi Express and Gomti Express were cancelled. In the meantime, the Railway Ministry ordered a probe into the accident under Shailesh Pathak, assistant commissioner, safety, to determine the reason behind the accident.
This is the second rail accident in the region in less than two months. On November 20, nearly 150 passengers were killed and 200 others injured after the Indore-Patna Express slid off track near Kanpur.
While the railway minister assured all assistance, including ex-gratia, to the injured passengers, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced financial relief of `50,000 to the seriously injured and `25,000 to those who suffered minor injuries.