3 dead in Vasco Da Gama-Patna train mishap; probe ordered: Key developments

The Indian Railways and the common Indian commuter have been hit by another accident after thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna express jumped the rails near Manikpur railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Friday. 

The Railways Ministry has ordered a probe into the accident and compensation has been announced for the kin of the deceased and injured passengers.  

Here's all we know about the accident so far: 

1) At least three people were dead and nine left injured after thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna express jumped the rails. 

2) Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday condoled the death of three passengers, who died after 13 coaches of the Patna-Vasco Da Gama express derailed in Uttar Pradesh's Manikpur. He also ordered a probe. 

"Immediate rescue and relief operations started and an inquiry ordered into the derailment of Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express at Manikpur, UP. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased," Goyal said in a tweet. 

3) 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. Two of the victims were identified as Deepak Patel and his father Ram Swaroop from Betia, Bihar. 
 

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

4) Railway Ministry spokesperson Anil Saxena told IANS that the Railways has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh for the passengers with grievous injuries, and Rs 50,000 for those with simple injuries. "Chairman Railway Board Ashwani Lohani has rushed to the accident site," he added. 

5) 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. 

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

7) Providing a breakup of the derailed coaches, North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said that the coaches that 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," Malviya said. 

8) 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. 

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

10) 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.