Monday, May 05, 2014
Mumbai
The toll in Maharashtra train derailment on Sunday rose to 21 after three more passengers died on Monday.
The mishap occurred when the engine and four coaches of the Diva-Sawantwadi passenger train derailed and fell over on its side between Nagothane and Roha stations, some 136km south of Mumbai, in Raigad district, at 9.40am on Sunday.
Nearly 120 injured passengers were admitted to different hospitals in Nagothane, Roha and Alibaug whilst the serious ones were shifted to Mumbai. There were at least 500 passengers in the derailed coaches. According to the police, the incident occurred after the train crossed a tunnel in Nidi village and then picked up speed. Many of the passengers were on their way to their native places for the summer holidays.
Though the exact cause of the mishap is yet to be ascertained, a senior railway official said preliminary examination point at the possibility of a rail fracture that led to the derailment.
The passenger and goods trains on the Konkan Railway (KR) network was affected after the accident with a delay of 18 hours but was restored Monday morning at 4.20am, after the track was cleared, said KR officials.
The diversion announced on Sunday of Mangalore Express, Mangalore-CSTM Express, Trivandrum Netravati and Mangalore-LTT Matsyagandha Express was cancelled and these trains were expected to go via the KR route. However passengers have been asked to check the timings before undertaking journey.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today visited the victims of the train mishap in Raigad and said that all the injured will be given full treatment by the government. He said there should be much more coordination between the Central Railway and Konkan Railway.
Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge announced that Rs200,000 rupees will be given to the families of the deceased and Rs50,000 to the injured victims as compensation.
The Railway Ministry also announced that Commissioner for Railway Safety Chetan Bakshi will conduct a probe into the incident.
The railways will check into all aspects of the accident — including if there was any problem with the tracks, fishplates or the engine and also the locomotive driver and his assistant who are injured as well as the guard will be questioned.
Though local villagers ran to the accident site immediately after the accident to render help, it took more than two hours for any official help to arrive. By noon, it was a harrowing experience for family members who thronged at Diva station to get any information. Even though several injured passengers communicated with relatives and police on their mobile phones, the railway authorities say it took them time to confirm that a derailment had occurred as it was in a remote area.
By Pamela Raghunath?Correspondent
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