Passenger train in India derails, upending carriages
Date
7/18/2024 10:00:23 AM
(MENAFN) On Thursday, tragedy struck as an Indian passenger train, the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express, derailed in Gonda district near the holy city of Ayodhya around 2:30 pm local time (0900 GMT). Reports from Indian media indicated that at least four carriages overturned during the incident, with distressing footage showing several overturned compartments and passengers standing atop a derailed train car that had crashed onto its side.
Uttar Pradesh state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed sorrow over the accident on social media, stating, "The train accident in Gonda district is extremely sad." He directed district officials to promptly initiate relief and rescue operations and ensure that the injured receive urgent medical attention. He also offered prayers for the swift recovery of those injured in the incident.
Anil Kumar Tiwari, Chief Medical Superintendent of Gonda District Hospital, confirmed that a team of medical professionals had been swiftly dispatched to the accident site to provide immediate medical assistance to those affected.
India's railway network serves as the primary mode of transportation across the vast country, but it has faced challenges due to insufficient funding and frequent accidents that result in casualties. Last year, a tragic collision between a passenger train and a stationary goods train claimed nearly 300 lives, exacerbated by derailed compartments striking another fast-moving passenger service.
The country's worst railway disaster occurred in 1981, when a cyclone caused a train to derail and plunge into a river in Bihar state, resulting in 800 fatalities and over 100 injuries. Such incidents underscore the ongoing safety challenges within India's railway infrastructure, prompting calls for improved safety measures and infrastructure upgrades to prevent future tragedies.
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