india

Updated: May 21, 2017 23:38 IST

Passengers on board the Mumbai-Lucknow Lokmanya Tilak Express had a miraculous escape Sunday afternoon after 11 bogies derailed in Unnao, 20 km from Kanpur.

A few passengers suffered minor injuries in the mishap. Police and railways officials said the accident may have happened as bolts were found missing from the track on which the Lucknow-bound train was travelling.

A relief train was rushed from Lucknow to bring the passengers to the state capital.

An inquiry has been ordered to find out how the unfit track was cleared for movement. The Northern Railways general manager and senior officials were also on their way to the accident site.

A team of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) was dispatched to site of the accident to ascertain if there is a terror link to the derailment which could have led to casualties had the train not slowed down as it approached the Unnao railway station.

Passengers of the Lokmanya Tilak Express wait after 11 bogies derailed in Unnao. ( HT Photo )

Superintendent of police Unnao, Neha Pandey confirmed to HT that bolts from the track on which LTT was travelling were found missing.

Sunday’s derailment comes six months after 142 people were killed and more than 200 injured when 14 bogies of Indore-Patna Express had derailed in Kanpur Dehat district. In January a freight train heading from Lucknow to Kanpur derailed near Shuklaganj railway station.

Of the 11 coaches that derailed, 9 were AC coaches while two were general ones.

Eyewitnesses told HT on phone that a major tragedy was averted as the train had slowed down as it approached the Unnao railway station. The derailment threw rail traffic out of gear on the busy route with railways cancelling seven trains on the route.

The Railways have set up phone helplines for relatives of passengers on the train. The numbers are: 0522-2237677 (Lucknow) 0510 1072 (Jhansi), 022 2528005 (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus), 025 12311499 (Kalyan) and 0253 2467863 (Nashik).