Hirakhand Express derailment: NIA officials reach Kuneru, to probe terror angle behind mishap

The NIA will probe the derailment of nine coaches of Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district on Saturday which led to the death of at least 39 people and over 70 injured.

Kuneru: The National Investigating Agency (NIA) will probe how the engine and nine coaches of Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express derailed in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district on Saturday which led to the death of at least 39 people and over 70 injured. 

According to ANI, a team of senior NIA officials has reached the Hirakhand Express mishap site in Kuneru for inspection. The NIA is also expected to probe if there is any terror angle to the train mishap. This comes in the wake of startling revelations made by Bihar Police that Pakistan's notorious spy agency ISI was behind the recent train tragedies in Kanpur.

The incident involving the Hirakhand Express occurred on Saturday at 11.30 pm near Kuneru station, 24 km from Rayagada in Odisha. The train was on its way to the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

According to East Coast Railway spokesperson JP Mishra, nine coaches - a luggage van, two general and four sleeper coaches, a second-cum-third AC coach, a third AC coach - and the engine derailed.

Railway sources said there are indications of foul play as a goods train passed the same track just two hours before the mishap, which occurred in the Naxal-prone zone just ahead of the Republic Day.

However, Odisha Police had ruled out involvement of Maoists in the mishap.

The Railways initially suspected a a rail fracture behind the derailment, however, it is yet to be ascertained through whether the fracture was due to sabotage or because of negligence and lack of maintenance.

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who rushed to the accident site along with Chairman Railway Board AK Mital, had announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the families of the victims, most of whom were from Odisha.

He also said that said "stringent action" would be taken against those found responsible for the derailment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders expressed grief over the incident. The PM said the Railway Ministry was monitoring the situation very closely and working to ensure quick rescue and relief operations.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced additional Rs 5 lakh under an insurance scheme to the kin of victims from the state. Chief Ministers of various states also condoled the loss of lives in the incident. 

The Odisha government also announced that families of the victims hailing from Odisha would get the benefit of ex-gratia of Rs five lakh. 

(With Agency inputs)