india

Updated: Apr 20, 2019 22:54 IST

Twelve coaches of the Howrah-Delhi Poorva Express jumped the tracks about 20 kms from Kanpur past the intervening midnight of Friday and Saturday, jolting passengers out of sleep and flinging some off their berths, and causing injuries to at least 14 people.

Kanpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anant Deo said the 14 passengers had suffered bone fractures as the train, headed to Delhi, veered off the tracks near Rooma railway station in Kanpur Nagar district around 12.50 am on Saturday.

Eleven others with minor injuries were discharged after first-aid. There were no deaths, North Central Railways chief spokesman Gaurav Bansal said.

Four of the 12 derailed Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches overturned, North Central Railway public relations officer Amit Malviya said.

According to preliminary investigations, the derailment was possibly caused by a fault in the coupling but investigators have not ruled out sabotage.

The general manager of North Central Railway, Rajiv Chaudhary, said an inquiry had been ordered, which would be conducted by the commissioner of railway safety, A K Jain.

He said a special train comprising 14 coaches left for New Delhi around 5.45 am with 900 passengers of Poorva Express. Another train with 10 coaches left around 7.50 am with the remaining passengers. Following the derailment, the routes of five down trains and nine up trains were diverted, while some inter-city trains were cancelled.

However, prompt action by the railway authorities and the district administration ensured that the track was ready for rail traffic to resume by 6.15 AM. On a trial basis, a goods train and later, a passenger train passed through the track, the release from the railways read.

The injured were first rushed to Kanshi Ram Trauma Centre in Kanpur, where they were referred to the LLR Hospital. Satendra Kumar, an employee of the pantry car, said the passengers were jolted awake as the train coaches went off the tracks.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the officials to extend all possible help to the injured and ensure that proper medical treatment was provided to them.

The railways have paid an ex-gratia of Rs 5,000 to passengers with simple injuries and Rs 25,000 to those with serious injuries.