Rae Bareli train accident: Death toll rises to 38, at least 150 passengers injured

Rae Bareili: At least 38 persons were killed and around 150 others injured when the engine and two coaches of the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express derailed near Bachhrawan Railway Station on Friday.

According to railway spokesperson Anil Saxena, the train had to stop at Bachhrawan station but the locomotive driver overshot the signal, which resulted in the derailment of the engine and two adjoining coaches. The accident occurred at around 9.30 am near Bachhrawan Railway station, about 50 km from state capital, Lucknow.

"The death toll has mounted to 38. While 34 people died in Rae Bareli, four were declared brought dead in Lucknow," UP Minister Manoj Kumar Pandey said.

Late tonight, the King George Medical University at Lucknow released a list of the 38 people who died in the accident.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Railway Manoj Sinha visited the trauma centre at KGMU and met the injured. Officials feared that the casualties could go up.

Rescuers used gas cutters to rip apart the wreckage of a mangled a general compartment. Most of the casualties were from this coach, officials said.

Railways have ordered an inquiry and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the accident. While Rs 50,000 will be given to those injured seriously, Rs 20,000 will be given to people with minor injuries.

As soon as the news of the accident spread, people from nearby villages rushed to the spot to help in rescue and relief operations.

The villagers helped in extricating passengers trapped in the mangled coaches of the train.

The spot of the accident presented a devastated sight with one of the bogies reduced to a mangle of steel.

Train movement on the Lucknow-Varanasi section of the Northern Railway has been disrupted due to the accident.

The injured passengers have been rushed to the district hospital. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs two lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Talking to a news agency, Samajwadi Party leader Manoj Kumar Pandey said that the Uttar Pradesh government will do whatever is required.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has instructed Chairman Railway Board AK Mittal and Member Traffic Ajay Shukla to rush to the spot.

Unfortunate accident in UP. Though I must be in parliament for my duties,ordered Chairman Rail Board,member of Board to rush to site ASAP — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) March 20, 2015

My colleague MOS is rushing there too. Ordered enquiry the report will be in public domain soon. Ex gratia announced. I am monitoring action — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) March 20, 2015

Railways is focusing on the relief and rescue operation and the injured persons have been shifted to the nearby hospital, the spokesperson said.

Rescue teams from Lucknow and Rae Bareli have rushed to the spot and cranes have been deployed to lift the bogies.

The seriously injured would be sent to King George Medical University and Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences -- both in Lucknow.

A trauma centre in KGMU was being kept ready to handle the injured passengers.

Ambulances carrying teams of doctors have been rushed to the accident site to help the passengers who were seen screaming in pain.

Gas cutters were being arranged to cut open the crushed compartments to pull out passengers.

(With Agency inputs)

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