Duronto derails after tracks are washed away
Nine bogies and the engine of the Mumbai-bound Duronto Express derailed early on Tuesday after heavy rains washed away a part of the tracks in Maharashtra’s Titwala district, impacting local trains during peak hours, officials said.
Officials said suburban train services on the Kasara and Kalyan sections have been hit by the incident and could affect thousands of commuters who take the route for work and business.
Though officials said there were no reports of injuries, commuters said a few people, including a driver, suffered minor injuries when the engine overturned. “Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express has derailed between Vasind and Asangaon. There are no injuries to passengers. We are arranging buses to bring passengers to destination. Doctors and senior officers are already at site,” said Sunil Udasi, the spokesperson of Central Railways. “The derailment occurred due to landslide,” he added.
The incident occurred at around 6.40am. Sources quoting local residents said a portion of the tracks was washed away due to incessant rains over the past few days. One of the passengers, Justin Rao, said most of the people were asleep when the train came to a stop after several jerks.
“...People got down and rushed to the engine and found the motorman injured. The motorman was immediately removed from the overturned engine. There are no casualties but a few commuters have suffered minor injuries,” he added.