12 dead after MP twin train derailment, rescue operations on

12 dead after MP twin train derailment, rescue operations on

At least 12 people died after two trains derailed within minutes of each other while crossing a small bridge in Madhya Pradesh late on Tuesday.

Kamayani Express, headed for Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi from Mumbai, was derailed near Harda town, 160km south of state capital Bhopal, just before midnight. Moments ago, the Janata Express (13201) en route to Mumbai from Patna had also derailed at the same spot.

The mishap took place at Kudwa, about 18km from the district headquarters Harda, which is between Bhirangi and Khirakia railway stations.

Piyush Mathur, chief public relations officer of the West Central Railway, said: "We have the unfortunate information that 12 deaths have taken place. We are still doing the search operation. Chances are less of this figure going up but still we can't say anything for sure."

Of them, four were women, two children and six men. There were reports that three more bodies were recovered. An official confirmation was awaited.

Mathur said the search operation had entered the "last stages",  even as rescuers grappled with darkness and inclement weather in search for survivors. 

Recounting the midnight horror, Manoj Mongi, a resident of Muzaffarnagar on board the Kamayani Express, said: "I was sleeping and suddenly I felt a jolt...I came out. I saw three women floating, but could not save them."

Tax consultant Shashi Bhushan Pandit, another passenger, said: "The water level on the track was almost waist-high. The current was swift...I cannot say how many people are trapped."

Although the exact reason behind the derailments is not yet known, railway officials said heavy rains in the past few days might have damaged railway tracks.  

"There was water on tracks and the bridge was submerged. So, the last bogies of Kamayani Express got derailed. Simultaneously, on the other track, the engines and coaches of the Janata Express also got derailed," railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said.

Some bogies of the Kamayani Express fell into the Kalimachak river, TV channels reported, though Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Anthony de Sa could not confirm the reports.

"However, we are not taking chances and have alerted army units in Bhopal and Mhow. We have requested the defense ministry for help from army too. Teams of National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have left for the spot," he told HT soon after the accident.

As the news of the accident broke, railways minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted: "Rushing emergency medical & other relief personnel to spot. darkness, water creating hurdles but ordered all possible help. Trying our best (sic)."

"Local villagers, Admn r  also in rescue operation. Everything that's necessary and possible being done. Constant in touch with CM MP & Rail off (sic)."

Meanwhile, traffic on both up and down lines has come to a halt.

India's railway network, one of the world's largest, is still the main form of long-distance travel in the country, but it is poorly funded and deadly accidents are frequent.

In 2012, a government report said almost 15,000 people were killed every year on railways, describing the deaths as an annual "massacre" due mainly to poor safety standards.

Helpline numbers:

Harda: 9752460088

Itarasi: 07572- 241920

Bhopal: 0755-4001609

Bina: 07572-241920

(With agency inputs)

Source :The Hindustan Times