The sabotage angle and its denial in the derailment of the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express in Bihar would both be considered during the probe, Railway minister Sadananda Gowda said on Wednesday.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety, Eastern Circle was entrusted with the inquiry into the accident at the Goldenganj station in Saran district, about 75 km from Patna which left four passengers dead and 23 injured, Gowda told reporters near the accident spot after arriving from Patna.
Earlier in Patna, Gowda told media persons that it was too early to talk about reasons behind the derailment and the involvement of Maoists. "It will be too early to identify one single reason for the tragedy. I will get in touch with railway officials to gather details about it," he said.
Gowda inspected the accident spot and enquired from officials about the disaster, accompanied by Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and Lok Sabha member from Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy. He bent on the tracks to have a look beneath the bogies and also climbed into some compartments to have a first hand view. "Something went wrong," he observed.
The Railway minister praised the Saran district administration for speedy relief and rescue operations together with railway officials. He thanked local people for coming forward to assist passengers and praised Rudy for being on hand since the early hours to supervise the relief and rescue operation. He also had word of praise for Rashtriya Swayam Sewak workers who he said cooperated in relief work.
The minister said he announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for family of dead, Rs 1 lakh for those grievously injured and Rs 20,000 for simple injury.
Gowda later visited the Sadar hospital in Chapra to meet the injured.
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