6 killed, dozens injured as 11 coaches of Seemanchal Express derail in Bihar

Sonpur (Bihar): At least six passengers died and 29 others were injured when a rail fracture caused 11 bogies of the Delhi-bound train to jump the tracks in the eastern Indian state of Bihar early Sunday, officials said.

The 12487 Jogbani-Anand Vihar Seemanchal Express originated from Jogbani in Kishanganj district and the accident took place around 4 am. Prima facie, the derailment was caused by a rail fracture, they said.

Chief Public Relations Officer, East Central Zone, Rajesh Kumar, said the accident took place at Sahadai Buzurg, close to Mahanar Road in the Sonpur division -- around 80 km south of state capital Patna.

One general coach, one AC coach B3, three sleeper coaches - S8, S9, S10 and six more coaches have derailed, he said.

The Indian Railways had earlier said that seven people were killed in the accident. However, it issued a clarification later, putting the death toll at six.

"It was on account of a communication gap at hospitals in Vaishali district that a mix-up occurred. One dead person at a hospital was counted among those who lost their lives in the train mishap. Later, upon verification, it was found that he was not a passenger of the train," Kumar said.

The deceased have been identified as Ilcha Devi (66), Indira Devi (60), Shamsuddin Alam (26), Ansar Alam (19), Shaida Khatoon (40), Sudarshan Das (60), the Government Railway Police (GRP) said.

Of the 29 people wounded in the accident, two have suffered grievous injuries, while 27 have received "simple injuries", the GRP said.

The injured were rushed to a hospital here, where the doctors referred the seriously wounded to Muzaffarpur and Patna.

The office of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced INR 5 lakh ex gratia each to kin of those killed, INR 1 lakh each to the grievously injured people and INR 50,000 each to those who received simple injuries.

"Rescue operations are in full swing and an accident relief train has been sent to the site of the mishap. A team of the NDRF has also reached the spot," Kumar said.

Commissioner Railway Safety (Eastern Zone), Latif Khan, will conduct an inquiry into the accident, he said.

Adequate number of doctors are available on the spot. Ambulances have been pressed into service. Teams of doctors have also rushed from Sonepur and Barauni to the accident site, Kumar said.

Local residents were aiding rescue teams in carrying out operations.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who expressed deep condolences over the deaths, said, "The district magistrate and the superintendent of police have rushed to the spot and are overseeing the relief work in coordination with the Railways."

Twelve unaffected bogies carrying 500 passengers left for Danapur at 9:52 am IST where 11 coaches will be added to the train. Some passengers were also taken to Hajipur in 10 buses, the officials said.

Sufficient catering arrangements have been made at Danapur and Hajipur. Commercial officers have been deployed to take care of the passengers, they said.

The Railways has issued helpline numbers - Sonpur 06158221645, Hajipur 06224272230 and Barauni 06279232222.