RAILWAY MINISTER IN RATNAGIRI TO OVERSEE RELIEF MEASURES
The Union Minister
for Railways Shri Nitish Kumar, accompanied by Chairman, Member
Traffic, Member Engineering and Member Mechanical of Railway Board,
left here early this morning for Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to oversee
rescue and relief measures for the victims of the ill-fated 904
Karwar-Ahemedabad Holiday Special, whose engine and first four
coaches derailed at 2115 hours last night on Ratnagiri-Madgaon
broad gauge non-electrified single line section of Konkan
Railway resulting in the killing of 14 passengers and injury of
26 including 16 grievous. Medical Relief trains from Ratnagiri
and Verna have already reached the spot and providing relief and
rescue measures.
While no telephone
at the site of the accident has been installed due to failure
of optic fibre cable, helpline number has been installed to attend
to the information needs of the anxious passengers and their near
and dear ones. The Helpline telephone Nos. on Central Railway,
Mumbai are: 022-27579939 / 022-27579938 / 022- 27572685.
The Railway
Minister has expressed his profound grief over the tragedy and
has conveyed condolences to the next of kin of those dead and
deep sympathy to the injured.. He also ordered ex-gratia payment
to the next of kin of those dead and injured. The Minister also
ordered enquiry by Commissioner of Railway Safety, Western Circle,
into the accident.
The prima-facie
cause of the accident is heavy downpour and boulder fallen on
track.
