- The coaches of the 12506 North-East Express train originating in Delhi’s Anand Vihar Terminus and on its way to Kamakhya near Guwahati in Assam derailed near Raghunathpur station in Danapur division.
- At least four persons were killed and around 70 people were injured after 21 coaches of the express train derailed around 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
- High-level inquiry ordered into Bihar rail accident; many trains diverted as restoration works continue.
- 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
The coaches of 12506 North-East Express train originating in Delhi’s Anand Vihar Terminus and on its way to Kamakhya near Guwahati in Assam derailed near Raghunathpur station in Danapur division of the East Central Railway, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway said.
According to a statement issued by the East Central Railway zone, two trains Kashi Patna Jan Shatabdi Express (15125) and Patna Kashi Jan Shatabdi Express (15126) have been canceled.
At least four persons were killed and around 70 people were injured after 21 coaches of the express train derailed around 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday. The loco pilot was partially injured and his assistant suffered serious injuries in the accident Wednesday night.
Tarun Prakash, General Manager of East Central Railways (ECR) said that authorities are investigating the cause of the incident. Teams of the national and state disaster response forces have reached the incident site.
Fault in tracks was the possible cause of derailment of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express in Bihar in which four people were killed and several injured, sources said on Thursday citing a preliminary investigation report.
The report, signed by six railway officials including the driver of the ill-fated train, stated, “It seems that derailment occurred due to fault in tracks.” It estimated the cost of damage due to the accident at more than Rs 52 crore. The report also contained a statement by the loco pilot who said that the train passed Raghunathpur station, near which the accident occurred, at a speed of 128 km per hour, but soon after it crossed the station section it suffered a severe jolt at the rear end with excessive vibration.
As a result of the excessive vibration and the severe jolt, the brake pipe pressure dropped suddenly and the train derailed at 9:52 pm, the preliminary report quoted the loco pilot as saying.
The report stated a breath analyzer test of the loco pilot and his assistant was negative.
The railways on Thursday ordered a high-level inquiry into the derailment of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express in Bihar’s Buxar district, in which four persons were killed and several people injured, officials said.
(With inputs from agencies)
