Gyaneshwari Express derails, hit by goods train. 114 dead, 200 injured

Mangalore Today News Network

UPDATE : May 29, 17.00 : Maoist carnage: Train derailment toll rises to 114.

The toll in the Gyaneswari Express disaster climbed to 114 with the recovery of more bodies from the mangled coaches, South Eastern Railway sources said.

"The rescuers have found 15 bodies from underneath the engine of the goods train which rammed into Gyaneswari Express. The toll till 4.30 pm stands at 114," the sources said.

Pointing out that the engine was entangled between coaches S-5 and S-6 of the ill-fated train, the sources expressed fear that the toll would rise ’substantially’ as more bodies were trapped beneath coach S-5.

The sources said that a nor’wester, accompanied by heavy rains, lashed the mishap spot this afternoon, slowing down rescue work for some time. "The wind speed was about 80 kmph, but the rescuers continued the work, although at a slow pace."

The sources said it may not be possible to clear the tracks as the engine, along with coaches S-5 and S-6 were badly damaged and it would take some time to separate them. Maoists derailed the Howrah-Kurla Lomanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express yesterday when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations in the wee hours.

West Bengal, May 29 :  06.00 AM : A day after at least 90 passengers were killed and 200 injured when 13 coaches of Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express derailed in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, the process of pulling out bodies trapped in coaches still on and many more are still trapped inside. The focus is on rescue, relief and on restoration work.

The incident occurred at 1:30 am on Friday when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations, about 135 km from Kolkata.

 

 

 

The tragedy has been compounded by the fact that out of the 90 dead bodies, only 11 have been identified so far. It’s hence been a long and traumatic wait for relatives of the victims and information from the railway’s helpline is sketchy.

Scores of anxious relatives are waiting at the Kurla station in Mumbai, the train’s final destination, for some news of their families.

They have been running from pillar to post trying to gather some information, hoping their loved ones are not among the dead or the injured. But it was only nine hours after tragedy struck that railway officials came up with a new tentative list.

 

Meanwhile, it is still not clear how the tracks went missing still. While Home Minister P Chidambaram says it’s act of sabotage and no explosive material was found at the site but Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee says the Maoists triggered a blast.

This tragedy could impact lakhs of other passengers as well amidst reports that the Railways may stop running trains through Maoist-affected areas during the night.

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, said the derailment followed a blast apparently triggered by Maoists who are observing a ’Black Week’.

"We suspect Maoist hand behind the blast," Member (Traffic) Railway Board Vivek Sahai said.

He said the driver of the train heard a loud explosion after which the train derailed. Railways are investigating if the tracks were tampered with, he said.

Five of the 13 derailed coaches fell on an adjacent track and were hit by a goods train coming from the opposite direction, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Mukesh Kumar said.

Indian Air Force helicopters were pressed into service at the accident spot to airlift some of the injured to the hospitals.

Banerjee, who reached the accident spot, said a patrol engine had passed through the area half an hour earlier, but the timing of the blast proved disastrous with a portion of the line being blown away.

 

 

She announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each of the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.

The West Bengal Home Secretary said that the over 200 injured have been shifted to different hospitals and the condition of some of them is critical.

President Pratibha Patil, who is in China, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. The Prime Minister announced Rs two lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He has also asked the rail ministry to ensure all help to passengers.

South Eastern Railway spokesman Soumitra Majumdar said the train had 24 coaches. After the explosion, 13 including 10 sleeper coaches, derailed of which five were hit by the goods train coming on the opposite track. The derailment took place at a spot, 150 kms from Kolkata.

Relief officials used gas cutters to extricate trapped passengers and bodies from the mangled remains of the affected coaches. Passengers belongings lay strewn scattered on the tracks.

Angry passengers said the first signs of relief came only around 5 am, three-and-a-half hours after the incident.

Nine of the coaches which were not damaged in the blast took the injured and the other passengers to Kharagpur where they were admitted to hospital.

Anti-Maoist forces were at the spot and assisting the police and rescue personnel in extricating the bodies from four badly damaged sleeper coaches S-5, S-6, S-7 and S-8.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has asked state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta to immediately rush to Sardiha, the site of the accident.

 "I have been asked by the chief minister to rush to the accident site with six special rescue teams and three mobile ambulances," Dasgupta told PTI before leaving for the accident spot.

The state government would bear the treatment cost of the injured passengers, Chief Minister’s secretariat sources said.

"State government has already rushed preliminary rescue teams with doctors and ambulances and more will follow," sources said.

Senior railway officials including Railway Board Chairman S S Khurana and DG RPF also rushed to the spot.

A relief train left Kharagpur with a team of 12 doctors and 20 paramedics as also two doctors from the Kalaikunda airbase, the officials said.

"The S-5 and S-6 coaches bore the maximum brunt of the impact," Palash Ganti, a passenger, said.

Ganti, who was travelling in the B1 coach, said when he looked out of the window he found that half of the coaches had derailed and a goods train on the opposite tracks hitting them.

"At first, we thought Maoists have attacked to loot the train. When the accident happened no RPF personnel were present on the train," said another passenger.

Helplines have been set up at Kharagpur - (03222) 255751 and 255735, Howrah -- (033) 26382217, besides a toll free number 10722.

Helplines have also been set up at Tatanagar (0657) 2290324, 2290074, 2290382, at Rourkela (0661) 2511155,

Chakradharpur (06587) 238072 and Jharsuguda (06445) 270977.