Kanpur train disaster: Extra coach led to derailment?

New Delhi/Kanpur: Even as Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a forensic investigation into the cause of derailment of Indore-Patna Express in Kanpur, sources have told Zee Media that an extra coach added to the train led to the derailment.

The train usually runs with 22 coaches but on the day of the accident one more coach was added to the formation and that led to instability, leading to the derailment, the sources said.

Also, eyewitnesses have claimed that coaches S1 and B3 were jerking with loud sound before the derailment occurred a little after 3 am last Sunday.

The S1 and S2 coaches were the worst affected as they had smashed into each other after the derailment. Coaches B3, S3, S4 also suffered damage.

A fracture in rail tracks is also being talked about as the possible reason for the tragedy that led to the death of 148 people and injured over 100 others.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Railway Safety (eastern circle) PK Acharya has begun the official probe into the reasons behind the disaster.

Loco pilot of the ill-fated train Janak Sharma, the co-pilot and station masters of Pukhraya and Jhansi are among those who are being questioned by Acharya.

Acharya had visited the accident site, yesterday, and inspected the broken track and the mangled bogies.

Sources have told Zee Media that loco pilot Sharma had information that there was some problem in at least one coach of the train and he had duly passed on the message to some senior official but was instructed to anyhow take the train to Kanpur.

Also, Sharma had reportedly halted the train at Pukhraya, 60 kms from Kanpur, and informed the station master about the problem as well but was directed to proceed to Kanpur.

Do you have any information on the rail disaster?

The Indian Railways that those who were travelling on the train and have any information with regard to the accident can share it with Acharya. He will be available at the Kanpur Central Railway Station on November 22 and 23.