The mangled Shramshakti Express
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Lucknow/Firozabad, January 16
Low visibility due to heavy fog caused a rail and several road accidents in different parts of the state, killing at least seven persons and injuring more than 40 others.
At least three persons were killed and 27 injured when Kanpur-bound 2724 Kalindi Express rammed into the stationary Shram Shakti Express at the outer signal of the Tundla railway station due to dense fog around 8.15 am today.
According to sources, preliminary investigations reveal that probably the driver missed the signal due to heavy fog and the speed limit was crossed. Both the driver and assistant driver are being interrogated.
Four railway employees, including Allahabad-based DRM of North-Central Railways, have been suspended.
The Railway Ministry has constituted a three-member committee to probe into the incident. The committee comprised Railway Board member (mechanical) Praveen
Kumar, director general of railway health services VK Ramteke and additional member (signal and telecom) KB Sharma.
“Though the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, fog appears to be one of the factors,” Firozabad District Magistrate NG Ravi Kumar said.
Railway officials said both trains were headed for Kanpur. While the Shram Shakti Express was coming from Delhi, the Kalindi Express had left from Bhiwani. The Railways has announced Rs 5 lakh each as compensation to the families of those killed and Rs 1 lakh each to the critically injured. Other injured would receive Rs 10,000 each, officials said.
Agra Divisional Railway Manager Devesh Mishra said the women’s coach and the guard’s cabin were damaged in the accident. “It seems the visibility was very low because of the heavy fog and the driver could not see the signal,” Mishra said.
Train traffic on the route remained disrupted for two hours.
Meanwhile, five persons were killed and 10 injured when a bus overturned in the Biswan area of Sitapur due to fog early this morning. In another accident near Nalgoda village in Greater Noida area, 15 vehicles rammed into each other, injuring five persons. Again, fog was said to be the reason behind the accident.
