Kuneru train derailment
| Kuneru train derailment କୁନେରୁ ରେଳ ଦୁର୍ଘଟଣା | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 21 January 2017 11:00 p.m. local time (16:30 UTC, 21 January) |
| Location | Kuneru, Orissa |
| Coordinates | 18°57′59″N 83°26′25″E / 18.96639°N 83.44028°E |
| Country | India |
| Line | Part of Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line |
| Operator | East Coast Railway zone |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | ~600 |
| Deaths | 41 |
| Injured | 68 |
On January 21, 2017, the Hirakhand Express 18448, a scheduled passenger train from Jagdalpur to Bhubaneswar, derailed near the village of Kuneru in Rayagada, Orissa, India, killing 41 people and injuring 68 others. The train was carrying 600 passengers.[1]
Derailment
The diesel engine of the train and nine cars derailed around 11 p.m. local time.[2] Three cars derailed with enough force to leave the roadbed entirely,[3] and some collided with a freight train on a parallel track.[4] According to a district fire department official, some of the casualties were a result of a stampede within the train as passengers tried to flee after the crash.[5] Emergency teams worked intensively to locate and rescue survivors from the crash, said the National railway spokesman Anil Saxena.[6]
Aftermath
The first rescue workers reached the site of the crash 40 minutes after the train derailed.[5] Rescue and recovery work continued until the next day, while repairs to the track were completed by the morning of 23 January.[3] Indian Railways said that it would pay ₹200,000 to the families of those killed in the crash and ₹50,000 to injured passengers,[5] while the government of Odisha announced that it planned to pay ₹500,000 to families of the dead.[7]
Investigation
According to Orissa's then-Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, investigation of the accident, in conjunction with India's Railway Safety Commissioner, started on January 22.[2] Director General of Police K.B. Singh said there was no evidence of sabotage of the track involved, though unnamed railroad officials had initially hypothesized such.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Investigation into India Train Crash Launched as Death Toll Rises to 41". Time. 23 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express derails LIVE updates: 39 dead, Railways suspect sabotage; Suresh Prabhu meets victims' family". The Indian Express. New Delhi. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ a b "At least 39 killed as Indian train derails". Reuters. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- ^ "Dozens killed after train derails in southern India". Al Jazeera. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "Train Derails in Southern India, Killing Dozens". The New York Times. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- ^ "India Andhra Pradesh train crash leaves 39 dead and scores injured". BBC News. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ "Odisha announces ex-gratia relief to Hirakhand express derailment victims". One India. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.