Ten coaches of Delhi-bound Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday early morning, leaving 25 passengers injured.
“A dumper hit the locomotive of the Kaifiyat Express, resulting in derailment of coaches,” Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Wednesday, “Some passengers have received injuries and have been shifted to nearby hospitals. I am personally monitoring situation and rescue operations.”
Railway Ministry Spokesperson Anil Saxena said a dumper was trespassing the railway track between Pata and Achalda stations in Uttar Pradesh when it hit the Kaifiyat Express which was running at a speed of around 100 km per hour at 2:40 a.m..
“An unauthorised dumper cross the railway fence and hit the locomotive of the Kaifiyat Express. As of now, 25 passengers are reported injured,” Mr. Saxena said. At least one out of 10 derailed coaches capsized causing injuries to passengers.
Following the derailment, at least five trains were diverted and seven trains cancelled on the Kanpur-Tundla section where the accident took place.
This is the second case of train derailment in the last five days. On Saturday evening, Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express derailed at Khatauli railway station near Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh killing at least 21 people and injuring over 80 passengers. The accident was prima facie caused due to negligence by the maintenance team working on the railway track near Khatauli railway station. The Railway Ministry has sent three top officials on leave, suspended four local level officials and transferred another official after finding lapses in the maintenance work that led to the derailment.