22 Sabarmati Express coaches derail near Kanpur after hitting boulder
What's the story
The Sabarmati Express (19168), en route from Varanasi to Ahmedabad, derailed between the Kanpur and Bhimsen stations in Uttar Pradesh early Saturday morning.
The incident occurred after the train's engine collided with an object on the tracks.
However, officials have confirmed that there were no immediate reports of injuries.
"22 bogies of Sabarmati Express have derailed but no one is injured," ADM city Kanpur Rakesh Verma told ANI.
Minister's statement
Railways Minister confirms derailment due to object on track
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also confirmed that the derailment was caused by the engine striking an object on the track.
"Sharp hit marks are observed. Evidence is protected," he said in a post.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Uttar Pradesh Police are currently investigating this incident.
The loco pilot reported that a boulder had struck the front portion of the engine, causing significant damage and leading to derailment.
Rescue operations
Indian Railways arranges alternative transportation for passengers
In response to the derailment, Indian Railways has arranged buses to transport stranded passengers to Kanpur. From there, they will continue their journey toward Ahmedabad.
Fire trucks and ambulances were also dispatched to the accident site as a precautionary measure.
An eight-coach MEMU train was sent from Kanpur Central station to the accident site, approximately 30 minutes after departing from Kanpur Central station near Bhimsen, around 2:29am on Saturday.
Train disruptions
Only Kanpur-Jhansi route affected
Only the Kanpur-Jhansi route has been affected and all trains on this route have been diverted, North Central Railway CPRO Shashi Kant Tripathi said.
"The train derailment has not affected the Delhi route on the main line. Jhansi-Kanpur-Lucknow route has also not been affected. Prima facie it looks like any external object hit it which damaged the cattle guard due to which the derailment could have taken place," Tripathi told ANI.