Utkal Express derailment: Temple opens door to accident survivors, offer food, mobile phones

Lucknow: In the wake of the derailment of six coaches of the Kalinga-Utkal Express in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, a nearby temple has opened its doors to the accident survivors.

The temple opened a langar (free kitchen) for train accident survivors inside its premises on Saturday night, Hindustan Times quoted Sudhir Goel, president of Sri Jharkhand Mahadev Mandir, Shivpuri, as saying.

“More than 500 passengers and other people have taken food at the langar since Saturday night,” Goel said.

Apart from the temple, several local residents also came forward to contribute to the efforts. 

Goel added that people donated milk and volunteered to help in the langar in all possible ways.

The temple committee also made mobile phones available for the people to make calls to their families.

At least 23 people were killed and over 40 others injured when 14 coaches of Puri-Haridwar-Kalinga Utkal Express derailed, with one of them crashing into a house adjacent to the track, in Khatauli in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday.