[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The driver of the train was probably unaware of tracks being repaired in that stretch as he ran the train at a high speed of 100 kmph, leading to the accident.

In another reminder of the lack of safety measures and proper maintenance of the country’s vast railway network, at least 21 passengers were killed and over 150 were injured, on Saturday evening, when 10 coaches of the 18477 Puri-Haridwar Kalinga Utkal Express derailed near Khatauli in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar.

According to locals, rail tracks in the area were being repaired for the last two days and unlike other trains Utkal express did not slow down in that stretch.  It’s being speculated that the driver was not informed about the repair work. Officials said the train was running at a speed of about 100 kmph when the accident took place.

“It was just some routine work. And the Railway Minister has already ordered an inquiry. So, let the report come… I cannot say anything more on that,” RN Singh, Delhi Division DRM, told reporters when asked if “maintenance work” was the reason behind the accident.

Following the accident, National Disaster Response Force or NDRF and various divisions of the police were pressed into service to rescue survivors from the badly-mangled coaches. Two heavy-duty 140-tonne cranes were deployed to clear the tracks.

On instruction of the state’s additional director general (law and order) of police Anand Kumar, UP police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) led by DSP Anup Singh also investigated the site to look for any aspect of “sabotage”.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Hours after the derailment, Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu had posted on micro-blogging website Twitter that he had ordered an inquiry into the incident and that strict action will be taken against any lapse.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The Railways and the state governments of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh have announced compensation for the victims. The Railways has announced a compensation of Rs. 3.5 lakh for the family of those killed, Rs. 50,000 for those seriously injured and Rs. 25,000 for people with minor injuries.

It may be recalled that in November last year, around 100 passengers were killed and over 226 injured when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express had derailed near Pukhrayan in UP’s Kanpur Dehat area. The tragedy was later attributed to a sabotage, possibly by terror outfits, and the National Investigation Agency had begun a probe into it. Similarly the derailment of the Hirakhand Express in Andhra Pradesh and a goods train near Koraput in Odisha had also raised similar suspicions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1503228808798{margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 20px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;background-color: #a2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

A look at facts and figures on rail accidents in the last 5 years –

Even as Railways attempts to upgrade safety apparatus, as many as 586 rail accidents have been reported in the last 5 years. The notable fact is that of these accidents, nearly 53 per cent happened due to derailments.

Since November 2014, there have been 20 rail accidents of which the November 20, 2016 derailment of the Indore-Patna Express near Kanpur was the most severe. The accident had resulted in 150 deaths and over 150 were injured.

In 2017 itself, six train accidents have occurred including Saturday’s Kalinga Utkal Express derailment. Of these, derailment of Jagdalpur-Bhubneshwar Hirakhand Express on January 22, 2017 was the most severe, claiming 40 lives and injuring over 50. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]