7 coaches of Shaktipunj Express derail near Sonbhadra, none hurt
MAJOR MISHAP AVERTED The train was running at 40 km/hour which prevented any injuries when incident took place, say officials
Seven coaches of the Jabalpur-bound Shaktipunj Express derailed near Sonbhadra early on Thursday, a railway spokesperson said, adding no one was injured in the accident.
The train was coming from Howrah when it derailed near Obra Dam in Sonbhadra district.
The incident was caused due to fracture in track, divisional railway manager Dhanbad Manoj Krishna Akhauri said.
Further probe into the matter is underway.
The derailment led to panic among the passengers. Railway officials from nearby station reached the spot and rescued the passengers trapped in derailed coaches.
“The mishap occurred at around 6:25 am and we have already cleared out the site,” railway ministry spokesperson Anil Saxena said.
“All passengers were put on the remaining 14 coaches and all of them left for Jabalpur at 7:58 am. They are safe and no one was injured in the accident,” he said.
The train was running at a speed of about 40 km/hr which, officials say, prevented any injuries when the incident occurred.
A passenger Ajay Singh Chandel said, “I heard a loud noise. It left me stunned for a while. I felt that something bad has happened with the train. Then the train suddenly stopped. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found my fellow travellers were safe.”
The derailment affected train operation on Chopan-Katni railway route. Triveni Express and Intercity train were cancelled.
One inquiry centre each has been set up in Jabalpur, Singrauli, Garhava, Chopan, Dhanbad and Howrah.
Railway officials said repair of tracks was in full swing and work would be completed within 24 hours. This is the third such derailment in the state in less than a month. On August 19, theUtkal Express had derailed in Muzaffarnagar district, killing 22 people and injuring 156. About 100 passengers were injured when 10 coaches of Kaifiyat Express train derailed in Auraiya district on August 23. Four wagons of a goods train had also derailed near Hardattpur railway station in Varanasi on September 2.