News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/19th July 2024
The tragic derailment of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district has resulted in four confirmed fatalities, with 31 others injured. The accident occurred on Thursday afternoon between the Motiganj and Jhilahi railway stations, approximately 150 kilometers from the state capital, along the Gonda-Gorakhpur section of the Northeast Railway.
According to District Magistrate Neha Sharma, the deceased include Rahul, 38, Saroj Kumar Singh, 31, and two unidentified passengers. The body of one of the unidentified victims was recovered on Friday morning. The injured passengers include several in critical condition, with around six in serious need of medical attention. The bodies of the deceased have been brought to the district headquarters for post-mortem examinations, which will be conducted once their families arrive. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the derailment.
Following the accident, a special train carrying 600 passengers from the derailed Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express departed for Assam on Thursday night, just hours after the incident. District Magistrate Sharma, who was present at Mankapur Junction during the departure, confirmed that no missing persons were reported by the passengers. The restoration of the railway track is underway, with efforts expected to be completed soon.
On Friday morning, Sharma visited the district hospital to check on the injured. She instructed the chief medical superintendent to ensure that the victims receive adequate care. Two critically injured passengers have been transferred to a trauma center in Lucknow, while four are being treated at the district hospital and four others at the railway’s empanelled hospital.
A high-level investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the derailment. Railway technical teams arrived at the scene late Thursday night to collect samples and take photographs of the accident site. Restoration work began immediately, with approximately 800 railway employees working through the night using generator lights to clear the damaged coaches from the track.
General Manager of Northeast Railway, Saumya Mathur, is overseeing the recovery operations at the site. The damaged coaches are being separated with a gas cutter, and efforts are underway to lift and remove the overturned coaches using JCBs and cranes. The accident has caused significant damage to the electric infrastructure, with electric poles and wires destroyed. Restoration work for the electrified track is ongoing, with a focus on re-installing the infrastructure.
Mathur stated that restoring the down line is a priority, with the upline already being restored for diesel locomotives. The Railway Ministry has announced an enhanced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives, Rs 2.5 lakh for those with serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries. A high-level inquiry has been ordered, in addition to the ongoing investigation by the Commission of Railway Safety.
The incident highlights the urgent need for rigorous safety measures and efficient response strategies to handle such unfortunate events. The ongoing efforts to restore normalcy and provide support to the affected families underscore the commitment of the railway authorities to address the consequences of this tragic accident.
