Lucknow, India (BBN)-At least 22 people died and over 50 were injured as two coaches of the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express derailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district.
The accident took place around 9:30am as the train was coming to a stop at the Bachhrawan railway station – 30 km from Rae Bareli, reports NDTV.
It was likely that there was a brake failure, news agency ANI quoted railway sources as saying. The engine overshot the signal, two compartments were derailed.
One of the coaches, which was a general compartment, has been crushed by the impact.
The other was a guard compartment which is likely to have been vacant.
If not for the vacant coach, the number of casualties would have been higher, officials told NDTV.
In a series of tweets, Railway Minister Suresh Parbhu said Railways has been prioritising safety as a “thrust area”.
An inquiry has been ordered into the incident, he also said.
The rescue work is still on. Gas cutters are being used to get the injured people out of the mangled compartments.
A team of doctors from Lucknow’s King George Medical University have been sent to the spot to treat the injured.
News Agency Indo-Asian News Service reported that there was some disturbance in the area – furious locals raised slogans against the administration and railway authorities, saying the rescuers took a long time to reach the spot.
An ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh has been declared for the next of kin of the deceased, those injured will be given Rs. 50000.
The accident has disrupted train services in the New Delhi-Lucknow-Varanasi sector.
BBN/AS-20Mar15-3:50pm (BST)
