4 killed in Bihar train accident: Railways orders high-level inquiry; restoration works underway

“A high-level inquiry has been ordered to investigate the reason behind the incident,” East Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Birendra Kumar said in a statement. An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured, he said.

Here are the top developments from the Bihar train accident

(With PTI inputs)

1. 01

   Bihar train accident: 4 dead; 70 injured

   Four passengers were killed after the Northeast Express derailed in Bihar late on Wednesday, Buxar Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar told PTI. A Railway Police Force official said at least 60 passengers have been injured and shifted to local hospitals. Those with serious injuries were rushed to AIIMS, Patna.

   All three leading hospitals of Patna – Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences – were put on alert to deal with the emergency situation, and over a dozen ambulances have been sent to the spot from the state capital.

2. 02

   Evacuation and rescue operations complete

   Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said evacuation and rescue operations were completed and all coaches have been checked. “Will find the root cause of derailment,” he said on X, even as he expressed condolences for the loss of lives.

   Visuals of the accident last night showed some passengers being rescued with the help of stairs. Bihar Deputy CM and health minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said: :”We have spoken to disaster management and health departments and Buxar administration to intensify rescue operations. We have readied Patna hospitals to treat the injured.”

   

3. 03

   Restoration of tracks underway

   Restoration of the railway tracks at the incident site is underway. Earlier, a scratch rake was dispatched from Patna to ferry passengers from the accident site, an official told PTI. A scratch rake is a temporary rake with a similar configuration as the original train.

   "Rescue operation going on at war footing at Buxar derailment site. NDRF, SDRF, District administration, Railway officials, and local residents are all working as one team. Injured shifted to hospital. War room operating," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had posted on X.

   

4. 04

   Buxar MP Ashwini Choubey inspects restoration work

   Union Minister and Buxar MP Ashwini Choubey visited the incident site Thursday morning to inspect the ongoing restoration work and rescue operations.

   

5. 05

   Indian Railways cancels two trains

   According to a statement issued by the East Central Railway zone, two trains  -- Kashi Patna Jan Shatabdi Express (15125) and Patna Kashi Jan Shatabdi Express (15126) -- have been cancelled.

6. 06

   21 trains diverted near Buxar

   Trains that have been diverted onto alternate routes include: Pune-Danapur SF Express (12149), Patliputra SF Express (12141), Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (12424), Vikramshila Express (12368), Kamakhya Express (15623), Guwahati Express (15633), Rajendra Nagar Terminal Tejas Rajdhani Express (12310), Bhagalpur Garib Rath Express (22406), Anvt Rdp Express (22488), among others.

7. 07

   Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says 'closely monitoring situation'

   Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a tweet, said: ."I have received the news of the derailment of North East Express 12506 - from Anand Vihar to Kamakhya. We are closely monitoring the situation and are establishing contact with local authorities and other agencies."

   

    

8. 08

   Incident in Bihar comes after Odisha Balasore's triple train accident

   The incident comes a little over four months after the triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore, which claimed 296 lives. That accident took place near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district when the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express rammed into a stationary freight train, and some of its derailed coaches were hit minutes later by the Yeshvantpur Express on its way to Howrah.

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