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Rajdhani Express
Derails near Gaya, many feared dead
Patna, India, Sept. 10 2002 (INS News)
-- The
2301 Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, which left
Patna Junction at little after 9:00 PM local time
on Monday, derailed near Rafiganj railway station
between Gaya under the Mughalsarai division of the
Eastern Railway killing scores of people, a spokesperson
for Eastern Railway said.
According to a report, the derailment occurred on
a 300-foot-long bridge over the Dhave river about
30km west of Gaya junction. Several coaches jumped
the tracks and sunk in the river
Early
estimate put the death toll to 100 but the number
is expected climb up as the rescue and recovery operation
continues, a railway official said. An equal number
of passengers have already been pulled out of the
wrecks.
At
least ten bogies are believed to be affected in the
accident and besides coach AS 1, that is said to be
completely submerged in the river below, extensive
damage is also being reported to the pantry car, that
had at least 35 people inside.
Due
to the accident tracks on both sides were blocked
stopping movements of all trains. Several senior railway
officials from both Patna and Howrah have rushed to
the accident site and a relief train and a medical
emergency van has also been dispatched from Mughalsarai
and Gaya to provide relief to the survivors.
Union
Railway Minister Nitish Kumar has also rushed to the
site by a special train, the Eastern Railway spokesman
said. Eastern Railway General Manager Sunil Sengupta
has also rushed to the site, he added.
Investigation
As
suspected from the outset, the railway police said
that looking at the evidences at the crash site, there
is no doubt that the accident was the result of a
sabotage as fish plates had been removed from the
track as they were found lying nearby by the investigators.
The Railway Board Chairman Rana disclosed the accident
of Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani Express was a well-planned
move by the criminals as suggested by a plethora of
evidences found at the site of crash.
The suspicion is that the act could be the work of
Naxalites who have a stronghold in the Gaya region.
Incidentally, two of the People's War Group (PWG)
leaders had been arrested earlier last week give reason
to believe, the accident could be well - planned work
of these terrorists, a senior police official in Patna
said.
Army
joined for rescue Operations
The
army joined the railways and the state authorities
in relief and rescue operations . A group of 100 soldiers
has been rushed to the accident site near Rafiganj
in Aurangabad district of Bihar Army tankers have
been engaged in transporting potable water to the
accident site since Monday night, according to the
Maghada Divisional Commissioner.
Helplines
The
Railways has set up these helplines for information
on passengers:
Mughalsarai - 05412 - 53255
Dhanbad - 0326 - 205335
Kolkata - 033 - 6605430
New Delhi - 011 - 3344128
Old Delhi - 011 - 3967332
Nizamuddin - 011 - 4359748
Kanpur - 0512 - 322223
--
Sam
Asharaf -
South Asia Correspondent in Trivandrum, India
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