New Delhi: At least 10 people were killed and 39 injured, 15 of them seriously, in three accidents involving five passenger trains in Uttar Pradesh amid dense fog and near zero visibility conditions early on Saturday.
Among those killed when the Bhiwani-Gorakhpur Gorakhdham Express hit the stationary Prayagraj Express at Panki railway station in Kanpur district were seven men and three women, GM, North Central Railway, Allahabad Zone, Harishchandra Joshi said.
The accident took place when the two trains coming from Delhi were on the same track, he said. Though fog appeared to be the reason behind the mishap, an inquiry has been ordered to go into the exact reason behind the accident.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety, will start the inquiry in the accident on Monday. Railways have announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of those killed, Rs 1 lakh to those seriously injured and Rs 10,000 for those with minor injuries.
"We were in the third compartment. We felt a strong jerk. We thought it was an electrical problem. Someone told us there had been an accident. When we came out there was no one to help us. We helped rescue trapped passengers," says an eyewitness.
The Delhi-Allahabad Prayagraj Express was at the station when the Gorakhdham Express hit it from behind in dense fog, PRO of North Central Railway (Allahabad) Amit Malviya said.
Gas cutters were used to extricate those trapped inside.
Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who was travelling to Allahabad on the Prayagraj Express, was unhurt. Congress MP from Bahraich Kamal Kishore and his wife Poonam Kishore were travelling in the Gorakhdham Express.
"When airline and railway authorities anticipate fog then they should ensure safety of passengers. Will they only be occupied with big issues without paying heed to issues that concern the common man?" — Senior BJP leader, Murli Manohar Joshi to CNN-IBN
"I expect that a senior leader like Murli Manohar Joshi will not not indulge in politics in times of crisis. Everybody knows what's happening in the Railway Ministry and his opinion will not change anything. Politics is part of democracy but he should not have made such remarks" — Congress leader, Shriprakash Jaiswal to CNN-IBN
In another accident, the Delhi-bound Licchavi Express rammed into the stationary Magadh Express at Sarai Bhopat near Etawah at around 0800 hrs IST, railway officials said.
The driver of the Licchavi Express was seriously injured as the engine of the train ploughed into the Delhi-Islampur Magadh Express in foggy conditions.
While the brake van of the Prayagraj Express derailed, the engine of the Gorakhdham Express was damaged.
Relief team from Kanpur was rushed to the site, Chief PRO, Northern Railways, Rajesh Dutt Bajpai said.
In the third train mishap of the day, the Saryu Express hit a tractor-trolley at an unmanned crossing in the neighbouring district of Pratapgarh.
There were no casualties. The incident took place in Bhelupur at around 0930hrs IST when the Faizabad-Allahabad Saryu Express was crossing the area.
The tractor driver escaped unhurt.
Railway Helpline numbers for Allahabad: 0532-2408149, 0532-2408128, 0532-2407353.
Railway helpline numbers for Kanpur: 0512-2323015, 0512-2323016, 0512-2323018.
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