At least two people have died and 26 people were injured when 15 coaches of the Ajmer-Sealdah express train derailed near Rura railway station in Kanpur Dehat district on Wednesday.
The mishap took place around 6 am near Rura railway station, Northern Central Railways PRO Amit Malviya said.
Fifteen coaches of the train, 12987 Ajmer-Sealdah Express, derailed when it was crossing a bridge over a dry canal in the area, he said.
The injured in the mishap have been taken to hospital, Kanpur Dehat Superintendent of Police Prabhakar Chaudhary said.
“A rescue team has rushed to the spot and a medical relief train from Kanpur has also been sent to the accident site. Currently we are focusing on relief and rescue operations,” Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said.
Asked about the reason of the derailment, he said, “there was dense fog in the morning”.
Due to the mishap, the Kanpur-Howrah route has been temporarily closed, Malviya said.
District administration and police officials have rushed to the spot to carry out relief and rescue operations.
The incident has affected the movement of trains on the route.
Senior officials have been directed to reach the accident site immediately, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said, adding immediate medical help is being provided to the injured.
Thorough investigation will be carried out to ascertain the cause, he added.
Ex gratia will be paid to all injured. All passengers are being provided with necessary assistance to ensure least inconvenience, the minister said.
Railways has also released helpline numbers — 09935024350 and 0979485953.
— With inputs from Agencies
All photographs: ANI/Twitter
Source: Rediff