15 killed, 50 injured as trains collide in MP

CNN IBN

New Delhi, 20 September 2010: At least 15 people were killed and 50 injured on Monday as a goods train collided with the Indore-Gwalior-Bhind Intercity Express at the Badarwas railway station, near Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh. The Intercity Express was stationary at Badarwas station when the speeding cargo train rammed into it at 5:00 am Monday morning.

 

The CPRO of West Central Railways Piyush Mathur told CNN-IBN that the "prima facie reason looks like overshooting of the signal by the train driver". He added that it may take five to six hours to clear the track. "The first priority is to provide relief to the injured and those affected. It seems like it was an overshoot of the signal by the train, the train driver.

 

 

Accident relief train and cranes have been moved in to the site from Kota and as well as from Jhansi. As far as clearance of the tracks is concerned it may take five to six hours," he said. Two relief trains have already reached the spot for rescue and relief work, he added.

 

Relatives of passengers can call the Railways helpline number 1072 for more information.

 

The other helpline numbers are:

Indore: 0731 - 2521044, 2521045, 2521046

Ujjain: 0734 - 2560167

Maksi: 07367 - 233045

 

Meanwhile, Central Railways PRO K K Dube told CNN-IBN that 10 were seriously injured and it will take two more hours for the rescue operations to complete as bogies were "seriously damaged". He added that the injured were being sent to the Divisional Hospital in Guna.

 

Monday’s accident is the latest in a series of fatal train accidents this past year. Just three months ago on July 19 the Uttarbanga Express collided with the Vananchal Express at Sainthia in West Bengal in which 66 people were killed and 90 were injured.

 

Earlier in May, 148 people died when the Jnaneshwari Express derailed and hit a goods train at Jhargram, also in West Bengal. Three people died and many were injured when two express trains - Kalindi Express and Shram Shakti Express - collided in Uttar Pradesh in January.