New Delhi, 05 Aug 2015: In the wake of one of the most gruesome railways accidents of this year in Madhya Pradesh last night, the Indian Ministry of Railways has announced compensatory disbursement of Rs 2 Lakhs for the deceased, Rs 50,000 for the grievous injuries and Rs 25,000 for simple injuries, as ordered by the Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.
At least 31 people died and more than 70 were injured when two trains derailed between Khirkiya and Bhirangi stations near Hardaas town of Madhya Pradesh within minutes.
The first train, Kamayani Express was going from the country’s financial capital Mumabi to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, when it derailed before the midnight from the tracks of a bridge and plunged into the swollen Kalimachak river near Harda town, 160 km south of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.
Officials involved in the rescue operations expressed apprehension that the death toll may rise. According to the survivors, some people could have been washed away by the swollen Kalimachak river. As per some reports, more than 200 were rescued from the river.
A probe into the accident has been ordered, which will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway safety (central zone). Help lines also have been set up.
Apart from the Ministry of Railways, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.
The last night’s double-derailment accident was the fifth major railways accident of the year 2015, the most recent one before this occurred on 25 May 2015, when Muri Express derailed in Uttar Pradesh 4 people dead and more than 50 injured. Indian Railways, still the primary mode of transport for crores of passengers in the country, has the one of the largest railways network in the world. But due to poor funding and infrastructure, deadly railways accidents are frequent in India.
