Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derail: Railway minister announces ex-gratia Rs 5 lakh compensation to victims

At least three people were dead and nine left injured after thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna express jumped the rails near Manikpur railway station in Uttar Pradesh today.

Confirming the casualties, Chitrakoot SP Pratap Gopendra Singh said a father-son duo from Bettiah district of Bihar died on the spot while the third person died at a hospital.

2 dead and 8 injured in Vasco De Gama Patna express train accident near UP’s Banda pic.twitter.com/czKOweWz8e

— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2017

Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal had this to say.

Immediate rescue and relief operations started and an inquiry ordered into the derailment of Vasco De Gama - Patna Express at Manikpur, UP. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. pic.twitter.com/DJDbt5qkEa

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 24, 2017

Railway Minister @PiyushGoyal announces ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to kin of dead in Vasco Da Gama-Patna express derailment, Rs 1 lakh for those with grevious injuries.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 24, 2017

"Of those injured, two were serious and admitted to district hospital, Chitrakoot. Seven with minor injuries are being treated at Manikpur," Singh said.

The Patna-bound Vasco Da Gama Express (12741) derailed at 4:18 am, soon after leaving platform number 2 of the Manikpur railway station in Chitrakoot district, about 250 km from Lucknow, he said.

According to ADG (Law and Order), Anand Kumar, prima facie it appears that fractured railway track is the cause of accident as per local assessment.

Providing a breakup of the derailed coaches, North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said, the coaches which jumped off the rails were coaches numbered S3-S11, two general coaches and two extra coaches.

"The injured have been rushed to the hospital and officials have left for the spot. Relief operations are underway," North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said.

He further said that soon after the accident, a medical train reached the spot and by 5:20 am, an accident relief train was dispatched for the spot.

The divisional railway manager (DRM), Allahabad has already reached the spot while the General Manager, NCR is on his way, he said.

In the aftermath of the derailment, movement of trains was disrupted on the Patna-Allahabad route.

The train derailment in Chitrakoot comes less than 12 hours after a bolero had collided with a passenger train near Lucknow killing four and injuring two.