Solan, December 21
Surinder Singh (24) was killed and six passengers injured when the Shimla-bound Holiday Special train derailed near Sukhi Jori in Dharampur this morning. The accident occurred when the engine of the train hit a mountainside, causing its three coaches to derail. The condition of one of the injured was said to be serious.

Though the railway officials could not specify the cause of the accident, DRM H.K. Jaggi, who rushed to the spot from Ambala, said, “According to the driver, some boulders were lying on the track that led to the mishap.” He, however, added that an in-depth inquiry would be conducted by the commissioner (railway safety) to ascertain the cause of the accident. The traffic on the track would be restored by tomorrow, Jaggi said.

The accident occurred around 8.30 am while the train was on its way to Shimla from Kalka. According to R.K. Tewari and his wife Sangita, who were injured in the accident, the train was running at a high speed and the driver failed to negotiate a bend, leading to the accident. The deceased, Surinder Singh, hailed from Mohali. He was thrown out of the train due to the impact and was crushed under the first coach.

“Had there not been a 10-foot-long mountainous tunnel, the train would have fallen into a gorge, leading to a bigger tragedy,” observed Rajesh, who rushed to the spot for the rescue operations.

Though train driver Vinod Kumar maintained that it was the presence of some boulders on the track that led to the accident, a visit by The Tribune team revealed that the track was clear and intact.

The injured included Vandana Pandey (who received severe injuries on her legs and was later referred to the PGI, Chandigarh), Zilik Das, Sangeeta Tewari, Sadhna Das, Ravi Pratap and R.K. Tewari.

The body of the deceased was handed over to his father (Balbir Singh) and his uncle after a post-mortem examination.

The railways officials said there were around 45-50 passengers on board.

DC Amandeep Garg said an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 had been granted to the father of the deceased, Rs 5,000 to Vandana and Rs 2,000 to the other injured. The Railways also extended an immediate relief of Rs 15,000 to the kin of the deceased, while an amount of Rs 5,000 was given to Vandana and Rs 500 each to the other injured. A case of negligence and rash driving has been registered against the driver of the train.