Utkal Express accident 14 coaches derail claiming 23 lives See pics

Fourteen coaches of a high-speed Utkal Express on Saturday evening jumped the rails, with one of them crashing into a house adjacent to the track near Khatauli, claiming at least 23 lives and leaving a large number of passengers injured. It was 5.46 PM when the Haridwar- bound train derailed immediately after it crossed the Khatauli station.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed extreme pain over the accident and assured that the Railway Ministry and State government were doing everything possible to provide the required assistance.

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Fourteen coaches of a high-speed Utkal Express on Saturday evening jumped the rails, with one of them crashing into a house adjacent to the track near Khatauli, claiming at least 23 lives and leaving a large number of passengers injured. It was 5.46 PM when the Haridwar- bound train derailed immediately after it crossed the Khatauli station.

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Posses of PAC, ATS and NDRF teams, as also sniffer dog squads, were rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. The injured were shifted to nearby government and private hospitals.

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Heavyweight cranes and gas cutters were being used to lift or cut the mangled remains of the coaches and extricate passengers stuck inside. Large number of local people and villagers were also seen helping out those engaged in the rescue work.

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Policemen on the site said one of the derailed coaches had crashed into the wall of a house adjacent to the railway track and some people are feared to be trapped in the debris. Anand Kumar, ADG (Law and Order), said the team of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) will assist in the rescue measures and also look at any aspect of “sabotage”.

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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 3.5 lakh for kin of dead, Rs. 50,000 for the seriously injured and Rs. 25,000 for those with minor injuries. Adtiyanath has announced Rs. 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for those injured.