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4 dead in Northeast Express accident: 2 trains cancelled, 21 diverted; Union Minister Ashwini Choubey inspects restoration work | India News
The Indian Railways Thursday cancelled two trains and diverted 21 after six compartments of Delhi-Kamakhya Northeast Express derailed near Bihar’s Buxar district late Wednesday. Four passengers died and 70 others were injured in the accident.
The accident took place around 9.50 pm when the 12506 Northeast Express, running from Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi to Kamakhya Junction in Guwahati, was close to Raghunathpur railway station, about 40 km from Buxar and 160 km from Patna.
“Will find the root cause of derailment,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on X, even as he expressed condolences for the loss of lives.
Here are the top developments from the Bihar train accident
(With PTI inputs)
- 01
Bihar train accident: 4 dead; 70 injured
Four passengers were killed after the Northeast Express derailed in Bihar late on Wednesday, Buxar Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar told PTI. A Railway Police Force official said at least 70 passengers have been injured and shifted to local hospitals. Those with serious injuries were rushed to AIIMS, Patna.
All three leading hospitals of Patna – Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences – were put on alert to deal with the emergency situation, and over a dozen ambulances have been sent to the spot from the state capital.
- 02
Evacuation and rescue operations complete
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said evacuation and rescue operations were completed and all coaches have been checked. “Will find the root cause of derailment,” he said on X, even as he expressed condolences for the loss of lives.
Visuals of the accident last night showed some passengers being rescued with the help of stairs. Bihar Deputy CM and health minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said: :”We have spoken to disaster management and health departments and Buxar administration to intensify rescue operations. We have readied Patna hospitals to treat the injured.”
- 03
Restoration of tracks underway
Restoration of the railway tracks at the incident site is underway. Earlier, a scratch rake was dispatched from Patna to ferry passengers from the accident site, an official told PTI. A scratch rake is a temporary rake with a similar configuration as the original train.
“Rescue operation going on at war footing at Buxar derailment site. NDRF, SDRF, District administration, Railway officials, and local residents are all working as one team. Injured shifted to hospital. War room operating,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had posted on X.
- 04
Buxar MP Ashwini Choubey inspects restoration work
Union Minister and Buxar MP Ashwini Choubey visited the incident site Thursday morning to inspect the ongoing restoration work and rescue operations.
- 05
Indian Railways cancels two trains
- 06
21 trains diverted near Buxar
Trains that have been diverted onto alternate routes include: Pune-Danapur SF Express (12149), Patliputra SF Express (12141), Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (12424), Vikramshila Express (12368), Kamakhya Express (15623), Guwahati Express (15633), Rajendra Nagar Terminal Tejas Rajdhani Express (12310), Bhagalpur Garib Rath Express (22406), Anvt Rdp Express (22488), among others.
- 07
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says ‘closely monitoring situation’
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a tweet, said: .”I have received the news of the derailment of North East Express 12506 – from Anand Vihar to Kamakhya. We are closely monitoring the situation and are establishing contact with local authorities and other agencies.”
- 08
Incident in Bihar comes after Odisha Balasore’s triple train accident
The incident comes a little over four months after the triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore, which claimed 296 lives. That accident took place near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district when the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express rammed into a stationary freight train, and some of its derailed coaches were hit minutes later by the Yeshvantpur Express on its way to Howrah.
