Live: Madhya Pradesh CM to visit Kamayani & Janata Express trains derailment spot, death toll 30

In a major tragedy in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, 11071 LTT-Varanasi Kamayani Express and 13201/Rajendra Nagar Patna-Mumbai LTT Janata Express got derailed while they were crossing a bridge on the Machak river almost simultaneously. The bridge, which is between Khirkiya and Harda station, was apparently damaged following heavy rains leading to the tragedy. Some bogies of both the trains have also fallen into the Machak river which is about 160 kilometers from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.

Railways has also set up helpline numbers. These are Harda- 09752460088, Bhopal- 07554061609, Bina- 075802222, Itarsi- 0758422419200, Itarsi - 07572 241920, Danapur - 06115 232398, Varanasi - 0542 2504221, 2503814, Patna- 06122 206967

## Suresh Prabhu: We are rushing emergency medical and other relief personnel to spot and ordered all possible help. We are trying our best.

## Suresh Prabhu: Rail administration, MP government working together to rescue passengers of Kamayani express accident.

## Uproar in Rajya Sabha as Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu briefs the House on the train accident in Madhya Pradesh.

## Shivraj Singh Chouhan: I am in touch with Suresh Prabhu, have briefed him four times since

## Mallikarjun Kharge: Railway should take precautions during rains, winters or flood situation, why was this foresightedness not shown by Railway Ministry?

## Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the spot of twin train derailment incident on Wednesday.

## Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar: Extremely saddened to hear of the twin train accident last night. My heartfelt condolences to families of the victims.

## Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi: Very sad to learn of the derailment of 2 trains in Madhya Pradesh. My deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this mishap. I hope the injured are provided adequate medical care and assistance at the earliest.

## MoS Railways Manoj Sinha: Not a man made tragedy but a natural calamity as the black cotton soil below the track moved resulting in the carving of the tracks. Inspection of tracks carried out at regular intervals.

## MoS Railways Manoj Sinha: Medical teams have reached spot, Railway administration conducting relief and rescue operation at the spot.

## Railways announces a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 50,000 to grievously injured and Rs 25,000 to those with minor injuries.

## Railway Board Chairman AK Mittal: Some bogies overturned. We have requested NDRF to assist in the operations. All rescued and moved to Itarsi.

## Railway Board Chairman AK Mittal: Vulnerable tracks are always under vigil. This was not an identified location and we were taken by surprise.

## Railway Board Chairman AK Mittal: "The incident happened at 11.30 pm on Tuesday night. Nine minutes prior to the incident, two trains both up and down crossed the same track. The tracks were fine, there was flash flood after the earlier trains passed which led to the derailment as the tracks damaged.

## Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets, "The two train accidents in Madhya Pradesh are deeply distressing. Deeply pained over the loss of lives. Condolences to families of deceased. My prayers with the injured. Authorities are doing everything possible on the ground. The situation is being monitored very closely."

## Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu ‏said the incident took place due to flooding of tracks after very heavy downpour. He will be making a detailed statement in Parliament on the tragedy.

## Army has sent a column of 150 people of specialised engineers regiment for rescue and relief operations in Madhya Pradesh.

## Inquiry has been ordered into the twin train mishaps in Harda; Commissioner Railway Safety (Central zone) to conduct probe: Railways

## Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extends help in the tragedy. "Whatever is required will be provided in the rescue operation in the train tragedy," MoS HOme Affairs Kiren Rijiju said.

## Hitting out hard at the Indian Railway system, former Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi claimed there is a caste system in Railways too. "There would hardly be any accidents in premium trains like Shatabdi, such incidents take place only in these trains," he said.

## At least 30 people have died and several more are feared dead in the tragedy in which two trains got derailed in Harda in Madhya Pradesh. While 20 of those dead were travelling in Kamayani Express, the other 10 were passengers of Janata Express.

## The accident took place on the intervening night on Tuesday and Wednesday while crossing a submerged track over the swollen Machak river. The twin tragedy took place when Kamayani Express and Janata Express were crossing a bridge on the Machak river almost simultaneously late on Tuesday night.

## The bridge, which is between Khirkiya and Harda station, was apparently damaged following heavy rains leading to the tragedy. Some bogies of both the trains have also fallen into the Machak river which is about 160 kilometers from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.

## In the first tragedy 11071 Kamayani Express train from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai to Varanasi Junction met with an accident when it went off the track at around 11.30 PM while the second train the Janata Express on its way to Mumbai from Jabalpur and coming from the opposite direction also met with an accident at the same spot and almost the same time.

## "Some bogies have fallen into the Machak river," Harda Collector Rajnish Shrivastava said about the Kamayani Express accident. The accident site is about 25 kilometers from Harda.

## According to Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena there was "water on tracks and the bridge was submerged". "So the last bogies of Kamayani Express got derailed. Simultaneously, on the other track the engines and coaches of the Janata Express also got derailed," he said.

## Hoshangabad Division Commissioner VK Batham said a relief train carrying collector, Superintendent of Police, doctors and other railway staff have reached the accident site. Railway Board Chairman AK Mittal said several passengers have already been rescued and sent to the nearest station.

## "Rushing emergency medical & other relief personnel to spot. darkness, water creating hurdles but ordered all possible help. Trying our best (sic), " Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted. He said efforts were underway to pull back the bogies. "We r gearing up all possible help on basis of info, will not spare any efforts," he tweeted.

## He added Railway administration and MP government are working together to rescue passengers. He further said that GM, DRM, RPF and medical staff have been directed to rush to the spot. Emergency relief trains have also been sent to the accident site. Railways officials said that rescue options are underway but is proving to be a challenge due to heavy rainfall in the area.