written by Faiz Rahman Siddiqui, TNN
Thursday July 7, 2011
KANPUR: At least 38 people were killed and 31 injured when a train collided with a bus at an unmanned railway crossing in Kanshiramnagar during the wee hours of Thursday.
According to reports, the incident took place in Addupura village under Patiyali police station limits at around 1.55 am when the 15108 Chhapra-Mathura Express train hit a bus carrying members of a marriage party at an unmanned railway crossing in the district.
"Nearly 33 were declared dead on the spot and five among the injured died at the hospital during the treatment. The rest 31 have been admitted to district hospital and Primary and Community Health Centres of Etah and other private hospitals. As per the eyewitnesses, the accident took place at around 1.55 am," District Magistrate, Kanshiramnagar, Selva Kumari J told TOI. She further informed that Minister of state for railways K H Muniyappa and railway board chairman Vinay Mittal had also reached the mishap site to take stock of the situation.
Rescue operations are underway and senior police officials of railways and district administration have rushed to the spot to take note of the situation.
According to sources, the train was running at 115 km speed and there were around 69 passengers in the bus no: DL-1P-5245 when the accident occurred. Superintendent of Police, Ratan Kumar Srivastava said, "The people from the groom side after having dinner were on their way back to village Gadhiya of Etah district from the house of one Banke Lal Yadav, a resident of Addupura, whose daughter Sudha got married to one Pradeep of Gadhiya village in Etah district on Wednesday. The bus had barely covered 50 kms of distance and reached an unmanned crossing no: 209 C in Addupura village of Patiyali police station limits, when all of a sudden it had developed some kind of technical snag. In the meantime, 15108 Chhapra-Mathura Express train arrived there and hit the stationary bus. The bus was overloaded and as per the survivors, many among the passengers were also travelling on the roof-top of the bus."
A senior Railway official, however, said the inquiry has been initiated by the ministry of railways and it will be carried out by the Commissioner of Rail Safety. He said the inquiry will go into the minute details of the train-bus mishap. The rail traffic on the route was affected for hours after the accident.
District Magistrate, Kanshiramnagar, Selva Kumari J further informed that state government has announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh for the kin of each person killed, Rs 50,000 each for seriously injured and Rs 25,000 each for those with minor injuries.
Whereas, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh for the dead person, Rs 50,000 each for critically injured and Rs 10,000 for those with minor injuries.
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