Gyaneshwari Exp mishap: Collision maximized damage: Railways

KOLKATA - The Railways on Friday said that the deaths and damage would have been far less in the train accident in West Bengal if the goods train had not rammed into the derailed coaches of the Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express.

Briefing media, Railway Board member Vivek Sahai said 20 people had been confirmed dead as of now and 104 had been injured.

Sahai said the maximum damage was caused by the collision.

Three coaches of the Gyaneshwari Express bore the brunt of the collision with the goods train.

The dead and injured from one coach have been taken out he said, but added that it was proving more difficult to rescue people from the two other coaches, which were badly damaged.

Sahai said the injured have been airlifted, while 45 others have been admitted to a hospital.

A red alert has been sounded from midnight of May 28 owing to the Maoist call for a series of Black Days.

A single light engine was run on the track a few hours before the accident, and about five trains had run on it thereafter, at intervals of 15 to 20 minutes, Sahai said.

The speed of all trains running in the night through Maoist-infested areas was no more than 45 kilometers per hour, he added.

The Maoists attacked after the patrolling. The timing of the attack was crucial.

Meanwhile, railway authorities have said that it would take at least 24 hours to restore normal services on the route. (ANI)