35 killed, 200 injured as Delhi-bound train derails

Fatehpur (UP), Jul 10 (PTI) At least 35 people were
killed and over 200 injured when 15 bogies of a speeding
Delhi-bound Kalka Mail derailed here in north Indian state
Uttar Pradesh Sunday in the worst train accident this year.
The derailment took place at 12.20 PM when the packed
train from Howrah reached near Malwa station, nearly 120 kms
from Lucknow.
"15 bogies of the train derailed out of which 10 are
in bad shape. The exact cause of the derailment is being
ascertained. The Commissioner of Railway Safety has been
directed to probe the incident," General Manager, North
Central Railway H C Joshi said.
He said the train was speeding at about 108 kmph when
the accident occurred.
"It was almost moving at the speed of 108 kmph which
is full speed," Joshi said.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Fatehpur, KN Joshi said
35 of the passengers had died. "About 200 injured are
undergoing treatment here."
"Rescue workers have not been able to enter two of the
bogies," Superintendent of Police, Fatehpur, Ram Bharose said,
adding the dead included women and children.
While some of the bogies had toppled, others were
turned into mangled heap of metal. The crowded general
compartment behind the engine was the worst hit. Gas cutters
and other equipment were used to cut through the metal in the
AC and other coaches to rescue the trapped passengers.
"A number of passengers are still inside the bogies
and attempts are on to take them out," officials said several
hours after the accident.

Locals, railway and district authorities immediately
launched the rescue operation. The army has also sent about
120 personnel from adjoining Allahabad and Kanpur to assist
them. A team of National Disaster Relief Force was also
deployed.
Two relief trains -- one each from Allahabad and
Kanpur -- have reached the spot. Another relief train was also
sent from Delhi, Minister of State for Railways Mukul Roy
said, adding helplines have been opened at both the Howrah and
Delhi stations.
Roy said families of the dead would be given an
ex-gratia of Rs five lakh, while the seriously injured would
get Rs one lakh and those with minor injuries would be given
Rs 25,000.
Meanwhile, anxious relatives and friends of the
passengers, many of them in tears, gathered at Howrah, Kanpur
and other stations to enquire about the fate of their loved
ones. However, they faced a difficult time as information was
trickling in at a slow pace.
The Eastern Railway said it will run a special train
from Howrah to take relatives of passengers to Malwa.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed deep
sorrow and shock at the loss of lives in the rail accident and
directed the Railway Ministry to deploy all available
resources in the area for rescue and relief operations.
Singh also spoke to the Minister of State for Railways
about the incident.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati announced a
compensation of Rs one lakh each to the kin of those who died,
Rs 50,000 to seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for those
suffering minor injuries.