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Utkal Express Derailment: All Passengers Evacuated, Says Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu
ADG Railways, VK Maurya said 10 coaches of the train derailed at 5:46 PM near Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar district.
Muzaffarnagar, Aug 19: The Utkal Express, which was heading towards the town of Haridwar from Puri, derailed near Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar. The accident reportedly occurred at 5:46 PM near Khatauli station in the district. The UP DGP Sulkhan Singh, at nearly 9:15 PM, said the death toll has escalated to 23, whereas, 40 were left injured.
The casualty figure might go up. For Helpline Numbers, Click Here
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered an inquiry into the derailment. He said he was personally monitoring the situation and strict action will be taken in case of any lapse.
In a series of tweets, Prabhu also said that Minister of State Manoj Sinha has rushed to the spot while the Chairman of Railway Board and Member Traffic have been asked to oversee rescue and relief operations.
Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising 45 personnel each, and two canines have been mobilised to the accident site from their base in Ghaziabad.
Medical vans have also been rushed to the site.
“All efforts being taken to ensure speedy relief and rescue operations,” Prabhu said.
The Railway Ministry was also in close touch with the Uttar Pradesh government to coordinate rescue and relief operations.
In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar said that top priority was being accorded to ensure prompt rescue and relief work.
He said PAC and NDRF teams have been rushed to the spot.
Since darkness was impeding rescue operations, he said the power department officials had been directed to ensure that there was no shortage of electricity.
Kumar also said IMA chapters in Meerut zone have been alerted and asked to ensure adequate and prompt medical care to the injured.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath enquired about the accident and directed officials to take all possible action, an official spokesperson said.
Adityanath has directed two of his ministers to reach the site to expedite rescue and relief operations.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu claims the evacuation drive has been concluded. “All injured shifted to hospital. Restoration work will start now. Still monitoring situation closely,” he said.
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According to the Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary, the train derailment was caused due to sudden application of brakes by the train driver. “There was some work on the tracks, but no flagging was done,” the official said while speaking to HT.
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I am going to #Muzaffarnagar train derailment site, our teams there are fully equipped. Will rescue stranded ppl asap:NDRF DG Sanjay Kumar pic.twitter.com/oWxxdBVymF
— ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2017
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CPM chief Sitaram Yechury sought accountability from Centre over the train derailment incident. “We must ensure accountability for these incidents, which are happening with alarming regularity,” he said, further adding, “Instead of focussing on railway safety, withdrawal of rail autonomy & merging rail budget with annual budget to facilitate privatisation has been the precursor for such disasters to recur more frequently.”
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For Helpline Numbers, Click Here
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UP Police re-issues press note, clarifies 23 killed and 40 injured in #Muzaffarnagar train derailment accident. pic.twitter.com/IpvCyqVCXW
— ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2017
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Congress Targets Modi Govt On #UtkalExpress Derailment, Says 259 Passengers Killed Since May 2014https://t.co/wE6YiNMVzN
— Indiacom (@indiacom) August 19, 2017
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#Muzaffarnagar train derailment: Indian Railways release emergency helpline number for detail information. pic.twitter.com/r1nV1Y0r6l
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 19, 2017
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UP DGP Sulkhan Singh has confirmed the death of 23 passengers, along with injuries to 400 others.
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According to fresh reports, 14 of the 23 bogies went off the track.
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