Train rams into vehicles at open level crossing, five dead
Five people were killed and one person was injured after a train rammed into some vehicles at a manned level crossing in Shahjahanpur whose gates were allegedly not closed at the time of the incident. Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sanjeev Bajpai said that the locomotive of Lucknow-Chandigarh Superfast (5012-down) got derailed after hitting the vehicles, disrupting rail traffic in both directions.
Incident took place at Hulasnagla railway crossing
According to India TV, the incident took place around 5 am at the Hulasnagla railway crossing on the Delhi-Lucknow National Highway. The train had crossed Meeranpur Katra Railway Station and hit two trucks, a car, and a motorcycle at the open crossing.
Police is investigating as to how the gates remained open
The train was given a special signal while the railway crossing was open, India TV reported. The District Magistrate Vikram Singh said that the train was coming from Bareilly when it hit the vehicles. The incident took place under Katra Police Station's jurisdiction. Bajpai said that the police is investigating as to how the gates remained open when a train came hurtling down.
Work to repair the damaged track underway
Rescue work is underway, and police and administrative officers are present at the site. "A team of railway engineers had reached the spot and the work is underway to repair the damaged track. Traffic will be normalized in the next three-four hours," Singh said.
CM has announced Rs. 2 lakh assistance for deceased's kin
"Of those dead, three people belonged to one family. One person has been sent to a hospital with injuries," Bajpai said, adding the death toll could go up. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the bereaved families, and announced Rs. 2 lakh assistance for each of them," an official spokesman said in Lucknow.
Railway accidents are not uncommon in Uttar Pradesh
Railway mishaps are not uncommon in UP. In August 2017, 23 people died and 60 injured when eight carriages of a train got derailed in Muzaffarnagar. In November 2017, three people died and nine others were injured after 13 coaches of Vasco De Gama-Patna Express derailed near Lucknow. In November 2016, fourteen carriages of the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Kanpur leaving around 150 dead.
