HOWRAH-NEW
DELHI RAJDHANI EXPRESS DERAILS NEAR GAYA
MASSIVE RESCUE
AND RELIEF OPERATION IS ON
TWENTY
EIGHT DEAD AND HUNDRED INJURED SO FAR
Massive rescue
and relief operation is in full swing at the accident site near
Rafiganj railway station of Aurangabad district in Bihar where
2301 Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express on its way to New Delhi
got derailed at 10.43 p.m. yesterday. As per the latest report
reaching here twenty eight passengers have so far died and 100
have been injured in the accident. Preliminary information indicate
that 16 of the 18 coaches of the ill-fated train got derailed
over a bridge between Rafiganj and Deo Road stations. The accident
site falls under Gaya-Sonenagar section of Mughalsarai Railway
Division under Eastern Railway. Accident relief trains, special
medical vans and cranes from Gaya and Mughalsarai reached the
site in the middle of the night and immediately started relief
and rescue operation. Minister for Railways, Sh. Nitish Kumar,
who was on his way to Delhi at the time of accident in a different
train, terminated his journey at Mughalsarai and headed straight
towards the accident site. The Minister has since arrived at the
accident site and is supervising and coordinating the rescue and
relief operations which is being under taken on warfooting by
railways in coordination with district authorities. Senior officials
of Eastern and Northern Railways have also arrived at the accident
site. Chairman, Railway Board, Board Members alongwith Director
General Health Services and Director General, Railway Protection
Force have rushed to the site.
Railway
Minister has expressed profound grief over the death of some passengers
of the ill fated train. Commissioner of Railway Safety, Eastern
Circle also has reached the accident site. Efforts are being made
to take the stranded passengers to the destination in Delhi and
Howrah direction. Special trains are being run from Delhi and
Howrah and some other places to carry the relatives and well-wishers.
They are being given to and fro free passes for this purpose.
Injured are being treated at hospitals in Gaya, Sasaram and Aurangabad.
The
entire focus of activity at present is on rescuing trapped passengers.
A number of public information booths or helplines have been opened
at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizammudin, Kanpur, Dhanbad, Howrah and
Mughalsarai railway stations.
The
traffic on both the Up and Down line in the affected section has
been blocked and other trains are being run through diverted routes.
