37 die as trains collide near Mukerian

Mansar (Mukerian), December 14 Thirtyseven persons were killed here when two passenger trains had a head-on collision near Mansar village about 10 km from Mukerian town in Hoshiarpur district. Trains diverted, Hemkunt Express cancelled Seventh major train mishap in Punjab Editorial: Train of accidents The Jammu Tawi Express climbs up a passenger train after a head-on collision in Mansar village near Mukerian on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Helpline The Railways have also set up helpline for assistance of relatives of passengers. These numbers are Jammu: 0191-2474757 Pathankot: 0186-2220417 Delhi: 011-23311330 Mukerian: 0188-3244023 Jalandhar: 0181-2456674

Railways announces ex gratia, suspends two station masters
New Delhi, December 14
The Railways has ordered an inquiry into causes of today’s head-on collision between Jammu Tawi-Ahmedabad Express and Jalandhar-Pathankot Local Passenger (Diesel Multiple Unit) near Mukerian in Hoshiarpur in which at least 27 persons were killed.

Gloom in House
Chandigarh, December 14
Touched by the grave rail tragedy that claimed several lives near Mukerian, members of the Punjab Assembly today observed a two-minute silence in the House and expressed their sympathies with the families of the departed souls.

Rodrigues shocked

Call that rang death
Ludhiana, December 14
Ashok Kumar, an ex-serviceman looked up at the mobile phone smilingly when it rang. It was his son’s mobile phone number. But he got the severest shock of his life when some stranger informed him that his son was badly injured in a collision between two trains near Mukerian.

Miraculous escape for 21-yr-old
Hoshiarpur, December 14
Shakti (21), son of Buta Ram of Hardo Khundpur village, had a miraculous escape in the accident at Mansar on Jalandhar-Pathankot rail section today.

4-year-old loses mother, brother Mukerian/Dasuya, December 14 Lying on the bed of the Mukerian Civil Hospital, a four-year-old injured Komal was not aware that her mother and brother along with whom she was travelling in the Jalandhar-Pathankot DMU were no more. Four-year-old injured Komal in Mukerian hospital. — A Tribune photograph