7 dead as Mandor Exp derails

Seven persons were killed and another 21 injured when the Jodhpur-Delhi Mandor Express derailed early on Saturday morning near Bassi in Rajasthans Dausa district....

Seven persons were killed and another 21 injured when the Jodhpur-Delhi Mandor Express derailed early on Saturday morning near Bassi in Rajasthans Dausa district,around 45 km from Jaipur. Railway officials,who were still trying to ascertain the exact cause of the accident,said 15 of the trains 18 coaches derailed at Banskho between the Jhir and Jatwara stations in Dausa at around 1.30 am on Saturday.

In what railway officials said was unprecedented,spare railway tracks lying beside the main line pierced the underside of the Mandor Expresss AC coach. Senior railway officials said the AC coach suffered the most damage,since three people were killed and eight injured in this coach alone. A passenger who preferred to remain anonymous said,We were asleep when suddenly there was a loud crash and the coach shook like in an quake. I saw at least one passenger bleeding profusely before I lost consciousness.

Government Railway Police GRP SP Veerbhajan Ajwani said,The incident left seven dead and around 21 injured of whom nine are still in the hospital. Of the 18 coaches,15 were derailed. Three coaches turned upside down while the others just fell off the tracks. He said the police have ruled out sabotage as the engine and a few other coaches were still on the track.

Senior police and railway officials who have been at the scene of the accident since Saturday morning said the reasons for the mishap were being ascertained. According to a senior police official,there are reports of cracks on this particular track,while other experts believe it could have been a technical snag on the train itself. Railway officials said they were hopeful of restarting trains on this route by Saturday night.

Even as senior officials from North Western Railways including the general manager and commissioner of safety from Mumbai reached the spot,Railway PRO K L Ankhiya said the casualties were reduced as the train was travelling at a slow speed. Rescue teams were dispatched within minutes of the incident and the injured shifted to SMS hospital in Jaipur. A team of railway engineers are also working hard at restoring the track to resume normal traffic, Ankhiya said,adding that 14 trains have been diverted in the aftermath of the incident.

Four of the seven victims have been identified as Ujjwal Wadhwa 19 from Jaipur,Sudesh Kumar from Jodhpur and Sonal Singh and Mandeep Singh Kohli from Delhi. Jaipur police said rescue personnel managed to recover four bodies immediately,while it took more time to recover two more trapped under the bogeys.

The Railway Ministry has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those dead,Rs 1 lakh for the injured and Rs 10,000 to those who sustained minor injuries. After visiting the spot,Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also announced a separate compensation for those affected by the mishap.