The Railway Department has ordered a high-level inquiry after 23 coaches of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express derailed in Bihar's Buxar district on Wednesday night. At least four passengers have died and around 70 injured in the accident after the coaches jumped the rail at the Raghunathpur railway station.
The four deaths have been reported from two AC compartments which suffered the brunt of the accident. Prima facie investigation suggests the engine driver had to apply the emergency brakes when the train was running at speed of 128 kmph at around 9.40 pm, the Indian Express reported.
An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured. A Delhi woman and one of her twin daughters are among the four deceased. While the third deceased is reportedly from Kishanganj, the fourth person has not yet been identified. “Delhi resident Usha Bhandari (33), her daughter Akriti Bhandari (8) and Kishanganj resident Abu Zayed were brought dead,” an official told the Indian Express. Usha and Akriti who were near the gate of the AC coach fell onto the tracks when the emergency brakes were applied.
The injured people were undergoing treatment at hospitals mostly in Buxar town and Ara. Ten injured passengers were taken to AIIMS-Patna, but none of them are in a life-threatening condition, officials told PTI.
East Central Railway General Manager Tarun Prakash said that the exact cause of the accident will be known only after the probe is complete. After completing rescue operations, the department is focusing on clearing the tracks so that regular train movement can be resumed. As of now, 10 trains have been cancelled and 21 trains diverted in the wake of the accident. As a large number of coaches lie overturned on the tracks, cranes and heavy equipment used to cut through metal are being employed to clear the tracks. Electric wires and poles have also been damaged in the accident.
Experts said it may be several days before the tracks are again fit for traffic.
Passengers recall horror
Speaking to PTI, Vijay Kumar, guard of the Kamakhya-bound train said he fainted when he experienced jerks in the wake of the accident. "I was busy with my paperwork when I realised that the driver suddenly applied brakes. This was followed by a few jerks and I fainted. Later, I found myself in the adjoining fields, where villagers were sprinkling drops of water on my face," said Kumar.
Union Minister Ashwini Choubey, while inspecting the restoration operations at Buxar, thanked the “thousands of” locals who rushed to help immediately after the mishap.
