2017 Khatauli train derailment
| Khatauli train derailment | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Details | |
| Date | 19 August 2017 around 5:45 pm (IST) |
| Location | Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 29°16′34″N 77°43′52″E / 29.276°N 77.731°E |
| Country | India |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 23 |
| Injured | 156 |
On 19 August 2017, the Kalinga Utkal Express train derailed near Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India causing fatalities:[1] 23 people were killed and 156 others were injured.[2] This was the fourth major passenger train derailment in 2017 and the third in Uttar Pradesh.[3]
Accident
[edit]On 19 August 2017, around 5:45 pm (IST), 14 of the 23 coaches of the Kalinga Utkal Express derailed near Khatauli in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The train was heading from Puri in Odisha to Haridwar in Uttarakhand.[4][5][6] The accident occurred because the Haridwar-bound train sped along track that was undergoing repair without being warned beforehand.
Twenty-three people were killed in the accident, according to the Uttar Pradesh police.[7] According to Uttar Pradesh's Minister of Industrial Development Satish Mahana, 174 injured were admitted to different hospitals.[8]
Aftermath
[edit]Media footage showed coaches mounted on top of one another, while one carriage crashed into a house beside the track.[4] National Disaster Response Force personnel rushed to the scene to join the rescue operation.[9] Rescuers used metal cutters and cranes to reach inside the damaged coaches.[10]
According to the Indian railway ministry, three trains were cancelled and six were diverted following the accident. The 14521/14522 Ambala-Delhi-Ambala Intercity Express, 18478 Haridwar-Puri Utkal Kalinga Express and the 14682 Jalandhar-New Delhi Intercity Express were cancelled. Meanwhile, the railways also issued some helpline numbers.[11]
Response
[edit]India's Railways minister Suresh Prabhu announced an ex-gratia of ₨ 3.5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and ₨ 50,000 for each seriously injured passengers. ₨ 25,000 was announced for passengers with minor injuries.[9]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the accident in a series of tweets. He further said, "My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. I wish those injured a speedy recovery. The situation is being monitored very closely by the Railways Ministry. Railways Ministry & UP Government are doing everything possible & providing all assistance required in the wake of the train derailment."[12]
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said, "Sad at train derailment in UP; my thoughts are with deceased & their families. Injured are being rescued & provided relief."[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Train derails in Uttar Pradesh, more than 20 killed". Al Jazeera. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Desperate search to find survivors as train crash in India kills 23 and injures 156". The Telegraph. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ "At least 20 dead after Indian train derails in Uttar Pradesh". The Guardian. Reuters. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b Dilshad, Mohammed (20 August 2017). "At Least 23 Killed, 72 Injured As Utkal Express Derails in UP's Muzaffarnagar". NDTV. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Wilkes, Tommy; Phartiyal, Sankalp (19 August 2017). "Train derails in Uttar Pradesh, killing about 20 and injuring scores more". Reuters. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ Niazi, Shuriah (19 August 2017). "23 dead as train derails in northern India". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Train derails in UP's Muzaffarnagar". The Times of India. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Bharadwaj, Vashistha (20 August 2017). "Utkal Express derails in Muzaffarnagar Highlights: Death toll rises to 23, railway tracks found broken, Cong targets PM Modi over accident". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b "14 coaches of Kalinga Utkal Express derail in Muzaffarnagar; 23 dead, scores injured". The Economic Times. Indo-Asian News Service. 19 August 2017. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "Train derails in northern India killing at least 23". The Telegraph. Agence France-Presse. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Utkal Express derailment: 3 trains cancelled, 6 diverted". Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Muzaffarnagar train accident: At least 23 killed as 14 coaches of Utkal Express derail". Indian Express. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.