20 killed, over 100 injured as Kalka Mail derails in UP

FATEHPUR/LUCKNOW: At least 20 persons have been killed and over 100 injured as 13 bogies of Delhi-bound Kalka Mail from Howrah derailed near Malwa station here.

The accident took place this afternoon near East cabin of Malwa station, nearly 120 kms from state capital Lucknow.

"Twenty bodies have been recovered...it won't be surprising if more than 50 people are killed as many bodies are still trapped inside the mangled coaches," special director general of police Brij Lal said.

He said the coaches were being cut with gas cutters and more than 200 policemen were conducting rescue operations.

Lal said inspector general Javed Akhtar was supervising the operations, while Railway Board chairman Vinay Mittal was on his way from Delhi.

The Army was also moving about 120 troops from adjoining Allahabad and Kanpur for the rescue operations after chairman of the Railway Board spoke to the Army chief.

The derailed coaches include four AC coaches, five sleeper coaches and two general bogies.

"13 bogies of the Delhi-Howrah train have derailed out which 10 are in very bad shape. The exact cause of the derailment could not be ascertained yet as we are busy in rescue operations," North Central Railway General Manager HC Joshi said.

He said a high-level probe has been ordered into the incident.

Two rescue trains -- one each from Allahabad and Kanpur -- have rushed to the spot, where gas cutters and other equipment are being used to pull out the trapped passengers.

More than 100 people are believed to be trapped inside the coaches and efforts are on to rescue them, said a railway official.

The train was bound for Kalka and was travelling at 105 km an hour when it went off the rails at Malwa station in Fatehpur district, about 150 km from here.

According to senior development operations manager of North Central Railways Pradeep Ojha: "Relief measures are on in full swing and people are engaged in cutting the AC coaches with gas welding machines to bring out survivors."

Minister of State for Railways Mukul Roy has announced Rs five lakh ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the dead, Rs one lakh for those who sustained serious injuries and Rs 25,000 for victims who have suffered minor injuries.

The accident has disrupted rail traffic on the Delhi-Howrah mainline.