Kaifiyat Express derails: 100 passengers hurt, 4 critical as train hits dumper

Lucknow: Four days after the Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar, the Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiyya district of Uttar Pradesh in the wee hours of Wednesday, injuring 74 passengers, of whom four are reportedly in critical condition. However, latest agency reports said that around 100 people have been injured.

The engine and nine coaches of the Kaifiyat Express, which runs between Azamgarh and New Delhi, derailed at 2.50 am between Achlada and Pata village when the train rammed into a dumper. The train was running at 105 kms per hour when the collision took place.

Fifty seven of the injured have been admitted to various hospitals, including the Sefai PG Medical College, with serious injuries. The condition of four passengers is said to be critical.

Locals rushed to help passengers out of the derailed bogies, and soon a medical relief train reached the accident site. The dumper had apparently overturned while crossing the track through an unmanned crossing.

Additional forces and ambulance were also rushed to the spot from Auraiyya, Etawah and Kannauj, while a team of National Disaster Response Force was dispatched from Lucknow to provide support to the victims. A rescue train was also sent to take the stranded passengers to Delhi.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the officials concerned to ensure proper treatment of the injured passengers.

Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said the train was travelling from Azamgarh to Delhi when it collided with a dumper around 2.50 am between Pata and Achhalda railway stations. One of the bogies of the train overturned, which impacted the other bogies, causing their derailment. Officials said that work for a dedicated freight corridor was in progress at the time of the accident.