Six persons were killed on Wednesday when nine coaches and the engine of an Express train heading to Delhi from Malda in West Bengal derailed in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
More than 60 people were also injured when the New Farakka Express derailed near Harchandpur around 6.05 a.m. Nine passengers have been critically injured, a police officer said.
Most passengers were asleep when the disaster occurred. One passenger who did not give his name told journalists at the site that he woke up after hearing a loud thud and realized that many coaches had gone off the tracks.
"Two coaches turned turtle," the passenger said. "The first to come to the help of the trapped passengers were fellow passengers as well as villagers."
The injured were taken to the Rae Bareli district hospital. Later, they were shifted to Lucknow and then sent to Delhi in buses and a special train.
It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment.
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Rescuers used long range cameras and gas cutters to rip through the mangled coaches to extricate the bodies and those trapped inside, the police officer said.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those killed.
He said the seriously injured would get Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 would be given to those who suffered simple injuries.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the dead.
"I have ordered an inquiry into the accident which will be conducted by Commissioner of Railway Safety," Goyal said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths.
Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani and Northern Railway General Manager Visheshwar Choubey reached the accident site.
The rescue operations were being handled by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Allahabad and Varanasi.
At least 13 trains were diverted or cancelled following the disaster.
--IANS
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