As it happened: 142 dead, over 200 injured in Kanpur train tragedy

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Updated: Nov 21, 2016 11:39 IST

As many as 142 people were killed and more than 200 injured when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express train derailed in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh early Sunday — one of India’s worst train accidents in six years.

The derailment happened at 3.10am near Pukhrayan, about 100km from Kanpur.

Most of the 500 passengers on board were sleeping and some of the shocked survivors recalled how they got jolted out of their slumber by a violent thud.

Below are the highlights:

• The death toll climbs up to 142,according to the latest update.

Our rescue op continuing since 9 am in the morning, and will continue till there is surety that there is nobody stranded:Ravinder Singh,NDRF pic.twitter.com/GlWdEIJwSS — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 20, 2016

• Army to carry out rescue operations through the night, deploys armoured recovery vehicle to clear wreckage, reports PTI

• Three army personnel were among those killed and many other armymen were feared trapped in B-3 coach of the train till late Sunday night, more than 20 hours after the accident.

•Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar announces an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased from Bihar and Rs 50,000 to seriously injured.

•Suresh Prabhu reaches the site of the accident

•Railways minister Suresh Prabhu said a high level commission has been constituted and it has started investigation into the accident.

Prabhu, who reached here with the Railway Board chairman and two senior members, said tough action would be taken against those indicted in the commission’s report.

• So far 116 bodies have been recovered, four dead bodies are still trapped inside a bogie, Kanpur Dehat superintendent of police said.

Kendra sarkaar ki taraf se isski jaanch hogi: PM Narendra Modi on Kanpur train derailment pic.twitter.com/PJ9XDup0kR — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 20, 2016

• “Let me start by expressing my heartfelt and deepest condolences on the tragic train accident that happened today. I would like to convey to all the families who lost their dears condolences to say how sorry we are,” said Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, addressing the ‘CII Agro Tech 2016’ as the guest of honour in Chandigarh.

• Death toll rises to 100, rescue operation still on.

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have rescued 16 passengers of the Indore-Patna express train at Pukhrayan.

Neeraj Kumar, an inspector with the NDRF, said over 300 NDRF personnel were on the spot.

• Minister of state for railways, Manoj Sinha, reaches the accident spot where the Patna-Indore Express train derailed.

• A help desk has been set up at the Patna railway station to assist family members of the Patna-Indore Express passengers.

• “I woke up suddenly around 3:10am and felt a tremor. The train came to a screeching halt. All of a sudden, I was crushed under a crowd of people… everyone was screaming for help,” Yaqoob Ahmed, said at Kanpur’s UHM hospital.

• An army column, a team of doctors and paramedics have been deployed at the spot to help in rescue operations.

Two NDRF teams from Varanasi and another from Lucknow have also been rushed to the accident spot.

Read | UP govt creates green corridor to ferry those injured in train derailment

• Officials deny sabotage and don’t comment on the possibility of a crack on railway track as the cause of the accident.

• The death toll could go up as two coaches are yet to be cut, says Javeed Ahmad, DG, Uttar Pradesh.

• IG (Kanpur range) Zaki Ahmad tells PTI 76 people are seriously injured and 150 have sustained minor injuries.

• Our priority is to rescue people. It is not the right time to do politics: Akhilesh Yadav when asked if the railway minister should resign.

When I was informed about the incident, directed concerned officials to rush to the spot & conduct primary rescue ops: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/zCBCz2WjI6 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 20, 2016

• BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi alleges the Kanpur derailment is a plot against the Centre and the railway ministry should initiate a probe soon.

• President Pranab Mukherjee condoles the loss of lives in the Kanpur train tragedy. “Kindly convey my heartfelt condolences to the family members of the deceased. I pray to the Almighty to give them the strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss. I wish speedy recovery to the injured people,” Mukherjee said in his message to Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the train accident.

• Words can’t describe the pain of those who lost their loved ones and the entire country stands in solidarity to share this unbearable sorrow: Indian National Congress tweeted quoting Sonia Gandhi.

• “I am pained at the death of people.I pray for the bereaved families and the injured passengers,” says Union minister Venkaiah Naidu.

Read | Survivors of train derailment recount horror, pray for those still trapped

• Our priority is to ensure that relief and rescue operations are carried out properly, Union minister Prakash Javadekar tells ANI.

• Suresh Prabhu says he will be visiting the accident site to monitor the situation.

• Kanpur Dehat SP says that on the direction of the CM, green corridors have been set between the derailment site and hospitals in Kanpur.

• Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan announces Rs 2 lakh compensation for the families of deceased and Rs 50,000 for those critically injured.

Chhatarpur SP, Collector, rescue team, a medical team rushed to accident spot; Injured will be given free treatment: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan — ANI (@ANI_news) November 20, 2016

• Suresh Prabhu says he is in touch with Akhilesh Yadav. We are working together to provide relief.

• After Suresh Prabhu, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav announces ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those with serious injuries. Rs 25,000 will also be given as compensation to survivors with minor injuries.

Read | Anguished beyond words on loss of lives: PM on derailment

• “Have made all arrangement to move the injured to hospitals. We are yet to receive information about the deceased,” says Sanjay Agarwal,DM, Patna.

• Railway minister Suresh Prabhu announces compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the critically injured.

• Several trains on the Jhansi-Kanpur route have been diverted.

• Maximum damage was reported in S1, S2 coaches.

• 10 passengers were shifted to the Hallet Hospital in Kanpur and a big hall was vacated to treat those with injuries.

King George’s Medical University was also put on alert in Lucknow, vice chancellor KGMU said.

• There were around 161 passengers bound for Patna in the sleeper coaches and 74 in AC, according to the reservation chart at the Patna junction.

Railway officials say there are likely to be many more passengers travelling in general bogeys on unreserved tickets.

• Railway sources say a majority of the passengers travelling by the 19321 UP Indore-Rajendra Nagar Express usually disembark at Mughalsarai, Lucknow and Varanasi stations.

• Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar says, “Deeply pained by the loss of lives caused due to Patna-Indore train derailment. My thoughts are with the bereaved families.”

Read | Two children pulled out alive from derailed coach of Indore-Patna Express

• Death toll rises to 63 after Patna-Indore express train derailed near Kanpur: IG Kanpur, Zaki Ahmed tells ANI

• Stranded passengers being moved from site to Malasa stn, special train from Malasa,Injured passengers moved to Kanpur Dehat hospital, tweets Railway ministry

• “Death toll rises to 45,” Additional director general (Law and order) Daljeet Singh Choudhary tells ANI.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets: “Anguished beyond words on loss of lives due to the derailing of Patna-Indore express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families.”

Anguished beyond words on the loss of lives due to the derailing of the Patna-Indore express. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 20, 2016

Prayers with those injured in the tragic train accident. I've spoken to @sureshpprabhu, who is personally monitoring the situation closely. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 20, 2016

• Home minister Rajnath Singh tweets: “Deeply pained by the loss of lives caused by the derailment of Patna- Indore Express near Kanpur. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I have spoken to DG NDRF and instructed him to rush NDRF teams to Pukhrayan. He is also leaving for Pukhrayan to oversee the rescue ops (sic.).”

• The seating cum luggage rake, and coaches two general coaches -- GS,GS, AC coaches -- A1,B1 B2 and B3 and BE, and second class sleeper coaches S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 were derailed.

The Indore-Rajendra Nagar is the only bi-weekly train running from Indore to Patna. It was scheduled to reach Patna at 4.40am.

• Suresh Prabhu tweets: “All rescue relief work on to deal with unfortunate accident. All medical and other help rushed.Enquiry ordered. Situation monitored closely”

In Pics: 45 killed, 150 injured as Indore-Patna Express train derails

•Enquiry team will start investigation for cause of accident immediately. All necessary assistance provided to the affected,We are taking care: Suresh Prabhu

•Medical assistance of all kinds is offered. Rail mobile medical units rushed to site.All injured rushed to hospitals, immediate medical help: Railway minister Prabhu

Derailment of train no 19321 Indore -RJPB B/W Phukraya-Malasa at 3:10 Jhasi-Kanpur section. Help line nos are below pic.twitter.com/QTUIUy4xkB — Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) November 20, 2016

•Senior officers ordered to go to spot immediately. They are on way to accident site. Local MP, MLAs other functionaries rushed. Minister of State also going: Railway minister Prabhu

• “Strictest possible action will be taken against those who could be responsible for this.”

• Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav directs the UP DGP to personally monitor the relief operations.

“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the Patna-Indore train derailment, want to thank officials for conducting rescue operations immediately,” says Akhilesh Yadav.

#UPCM @yadavakhilesh directs DGP to personally to monitor relief op's of Train 9321 accident near Kanpur. All support to be extended. — CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) November 20, 2016

• Yadav also instructs “DGP to put traffic police along the route to ensure green corridor for ambulances to reach hospitals quickly”.

• “At least 20 bodies have been recovered so far,” Zaki Ahmed, inspector general of Kanpur police, tells ANI.

• Buses are pressed into service to help passengers complete their journey, Kumar said, adding that there are possibilities of casualties in the S2 coach which is severely damaged. Four AC coaches were also damaged heavily.

Read | Patna-Indore Express derailment: Five deadliest train accidents in past 5 years