Rescue and relief work in progress after nine coaches of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express derailed at Hajipur, in Vaishali district, Sunday, Feb. 03, 2019. (PTI Photo)Six people died and several were injured after a rail fracture led to the derailment of several bogies of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express n Bihar’s Vaishali district.
The accident took place when the Jogbani-Anand Vihar Seemanchal Express crossed Mehnar Road and when nine coaches, including an AC coach, derailed near Sahdei-Buzurg Railway Station that falls under Vaishali district at 3.58 am on Sunday.
Nine coaches of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express derailed in Vaishali district on Sunday. (Express photo)One general coach, one AC coach B3, three sleeper coaches – S8, S9, S10 – and four more coaches derailed, East Central Railway spokesperson Rajesh Kumar said.
The Ministry of Railways announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those who lost their lives, Rs 1 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 to those who suffered simple injuries in the accident. All medical expenses will also be born by the Railways, the ministry said. Instant cash was also distributed to the injured after verification to ensure relief.
According to a list issued by the Railways, the deceased have been identified as Shamsuddin Alam (25), Ansar Alam (21) and Saeeda Khatun (45) – all belonging to Uttar Dinajpur district in West Bengal – and Indra Devi (65), Sudarshan Das (60) and Eelcha Devi (60), all hailing from Khagaria in Bihar.
“We express profound grief over the loss of innocent lives in a tragic derailment of 12487 Jogbani-AnandVihar Terminal Seemanchal Exp at Sahadaibuzurg in Bihar. Rescue and relief operations are at full swing. Our GM & DRM, NDRF teams, & officials of local administration are at the site,” the Ministry of Railways had said on Twitter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed their condolences over the death.
Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the derailment of coaches of the Seemanchal Express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Railways, NDRF, and local authorities are providing all possible assistance in the wake of the accident.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 3, 2019
“Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the derailment of coaches of the Seemanchal Express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Railways, NDRF, and local authorities are providing all possible assistance in the wake of the accident,” PM Modi tweeted.
Read | Survivors recount horror of Seemanchal Express derailment in Bihar
Recalling about the incident, Rameshwar Rai, a local resident told PTI, “Luckily, the site of the mishap wasn’t a remote or a sparsely-populated area. We could reach out to the victims immediately. Some of us had gas-cutters which were put to use even before rescue officials could reach with their professional equipment.”
An NDRF personnel treats an injured passenger after nine coaches of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express derailed at Hajipur, in Vaishali district, Sunday, Feb. 03, 2019. (PTI)“Some people also contacted private nursing homes nearby from where ambulances were rushed to the spot,” he added.
Both survivors and local people felt that luck favoured passengers as the accident of that magnitude could have killed more people.
(Inputs from PTI)
