At least three people were dead and nine left injured after thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna express jumped the rails near Manikpur railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. Confirming the casualties, Chitrakoot SP Pratap Gopendra Singh said a father-son duo from Bettiah district of Bihar died on the spot while the third person died at a hospital. [caption id=“attachment_4225487” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] At least three people were killed when the Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derailed in UP. Twitter @airnewsalerts[/caption] “Of those injured, two were serious and admitted to district hospital, Chitrakoot. Seven with minor injuries are being treated at Manikpur,” Singh said. The Patna-bound Vasco Da Gama Express (12741) derailed at 4.18 am, soon after leaving platform number 2 of the Manikpur railway station in Chitrakoot district, about 250 km from Lucknow, he said. According to ADG (Law and Order), Anand Kumar, prima facie it appears that fractured railway track is the cause of accident as per local assessment. Providing a breakup of the derailed coaches, North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said, the coaches which jumped off the rails were coaches numbered S3-S11, two general coaches and two extra coaches. “The injured have been rushed to the hospital and officials have left for the spot. Relief operations are underway,” North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said. He further said that soon after the accident, a medical train reached the spot and by 5.20 am, an accident relief train was dispatched for the spot. The divisional railway manager (DRM), Allahabad has already reached the spot while the General Manager, NCR is on his way, he said. In the aftermath of the derailment, movement of trains was disrupted on the Patna-Allahabad route. The train derailment in Chitrakoot comes less than 12 hours after a bolero had collided with a passenger train near Lucknow killing four and injuring two. With inputs from agencies
Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derailment as it happened: Police identifies all three deceased
Thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna express derailed near Manikpur railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.
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Police identify the three deceased
Chitrakoot #trainaccident - ट्रेन हादसे में मृत व्यक्तियों की सूची #uppolice pic.twitter.com/1JD0pR3ItU
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) November 24, 2017
“Citizens are wary of using the Indian Railways & a change of guard has not made them safer,” says Congress
Our condolences on this unfortunate mishap in #Chitrakoot. Citizens are wary of using the Indian Railways & a change of guard has not made them safer. We urge Ministry of Railways to prioritise safety. https://t.co/3G6LUbXsWq
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 24, 2017
A change in nomenclature required?
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot also points out the rising number of rail accidents
It is tragic to know of loss of lives in #TrainDerailment in #Chitrakoot, #Uttarpradesh. My condolences to bereaved families. The rising number of such accidents is very worrying.#VASCODAGAMA https://t.co/SZnCHtC7sU
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) November 24, 2017
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat concerned about rising incidents of rail accidents
उत्तर प्रदेश में #Chitrakoot के पास हुआ भीषण रेल हादसा मन को बहुत व्यथित करता है, मैं घायलों के शीघ्र स्वास्थ्य लाभ और मृतकों की आत्मा की शांति हेतु ईश्वर से कामना करता हूं। देश में बढ़ते हुए ट्रेन हादसे की घटनाएं बेहद चिंता का विषय है।#VASCODAGAMA https://t.co/dWloKFT8R9
— Harish Rawat (@harishrawatcmuk) November 24, 2017
Piyush Goyal directed chairman of Railway Board, Ashwani Lohani, who is in the state, to rush to the site and also ordered an inquiry by the commissioner railway safety.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expresses sadness at the tragedy
जनपद चित्रकूट की ट्रेन दुर्घटना पर दुःख पंहुचा, ईश्वर से दिवंगत आत्मा की शांति एवं दुर्घटना में घायल यात्रियों के शीघ्र स्वास्थ्य लाभ की कामना करते हुए अधिकारियों को उनके समुचित एवं त्वरित उपचार का निर्देश दिया। https://t.co/M0YCUu1Vqs
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 24, 2017
Pictures of the derailment
Pictures of Manikpur rail derailment in Uttar Pradesh this early morning.#AIRPics: AP Singh pic.twitter.com/wVb8pIcNor
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 24, 2017
Deceased identified as father-son duo
The deceased have been identified as father-son duo, Ram Swaroop Patel and his son Deepak Patel, according to The Indian Express. They were both from Bettiah district of Bihar and died on the spot. The third person died at a hospital.
Coaches which jumped the rails
North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya told The Times of India that the coaches which jumped off the rails were coaches numbered S3-S11, two general coaches and two extra coaches. He added that the injured have been rushed to the hospital and rescue operations are underway.
He further said that a medical train had reached the spot and by 5.20 am, an accident relief train was dispatched for the spot.
Immediate rescue and relief operations started: Piyush Goyal
Immediate rescue and relief operations started and an inquiry ordered into the derailment of Vasco De Gama - Patna Express at Manikpur, UP. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. pic.twitter.com/DJDbt5qkEa
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 24, 2017
Vasco De Gama Patna express train accident: Ministry of Railways announces Rs 5 lakhs for kin of those dead, 1 lakh for grievously injured and 50,000 for those injured
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2017
Piyush Goyal announces ex-gratia compensation
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announces ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to kin of dead in Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derailment, Rs 1 lakh for those with grievous injuries. — PTI
Piyush Goyal monitoring situation
The 13 derailed coaches comprise S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, two extra sleeper coaches and two general coaches.
Rescue operations have started and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal is monitoring the situation.
North Central Railway spokesperson Amit Malviya told IANS that a train with the remaining passengers left for Patna at 7.25 am from Manikpur. — IANS
The problem of unmanned level crossings
Almost every fifth train accident in the last two fiscal years has happened due to unmanned level crossings spread across the country.
According to information provided in Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain, Gujarat tops the list of unmanned level crossings at 1,895 (across broad and narrow gauge operations of the Railways), followed by Uttar Pradesh at 1,112 such crossings. There are 7,701 such crossings across the country.
**Click here to read the full article.**Vasco Da Gama Express Derailment | We have setup helpline numbers, rescue & relief operations are underway: Anil Saxena, Indian Railways PRO pic.twitter.com/IrGx8WXrQB
— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 24, 2017
UP Police releases helpline numbers
#vascodagama Train Accident #Chitrakoot Importent Numbers #uppolice pic.twitter.com/pJjjlAAiZS
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) November 24, 2017
#CHITRAKOOT TRAIN ACCIDENT
— Chitrakoot Police (@chitrakootpol) November 24, 2017
चित्रकूट रेल दुर्घटना के लिये सम्पर्क नम्बर @Uppolice @digchitrakoot @dgpup @adgzonealld @upgrp @spgrpjhansi pic.twitter.com/dFrLkMrZsm
Chitrakoot #Trainaccident~12741 vasco to patna.(1 bogey half tilted)at manikpur, Chitrakoot- 3 Dead, 9 injured.
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) November 24, 2017
7 in CHC manikpur, 2 referred to district hospital.
Medical train has arrived.
All bogies have been checked...
Treatment of injured is going on (2/3)#uppolice pic.twitter.com/keCFNZXM6P
Chitrakoot #Trainaccident~12741 vasco to patna (one bogey half tilted)at manikpur, Chitrakoot.
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) November 24, 2017
Time 4:14 am at station platform. Major accident averted. 9 injured & 3 dead. Deepak patel & his father Ram swaroop, R/O Betiya, Bihar expired on t spot.Our condolences to t bereaved pic.twitter.com/eyRvzGi4eh
Train accident affects movement of other trains on route
According to News18, the Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express train was traveling from Goa to Patna and the accident has affected movement of other trains on the route.
Anil Saxena, PRO Indian Railways, further said that a medical train had reached the accident spot at 5.20 am. An accident relief train had also been dispatched.
Death toll rises to 3
Three dead, nine injured in #Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express #derailment in Uttar Pradesh : SP, Chitrakoot.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 24, 2017
Fractured railway track could be cause of accident
ANI quoted UP ADG (law and order) as saying that the cause of accident is most probably a fractured railway track “as per local assessment”.
Indian railways sets up helpline numbers
We have setup helpline numbers, rescue and relief operations are underway: Anil Saxena,PRO Indian Railways pic.twitter.com/SREWTYt4Ms
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2017
Two killed, 8 injured
2 dead and 8 injured in Vasco De Gama Patna express train accident near UP’s Banda pic.twitter.com/czKOweWz8e
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2017

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