167 passengers go missing from train bringing migrants to Haridwar

As many as 167 passengers of a special train bringing migrants to Haridwar from Gujarat's Surat have gone missing, causing concern among officials here.

The number of passengers who deboarded the train here does not match with the list of passengers received from Surat, Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar said on Thursday.

"The discrepancy is being looked into. If these passengers have gone missing after boarding the train in Surat then it is a serious matter. Investigation is underway and action will be taken when it is complete," he said.

As per the list received from the Surat administration, 1,340 people were travelling by a special train that left Surat on May 12 but when it reached Haridwar station, only 1,173 passengers got down from the train.

The matter is being probed in consultation with authorities in Surat whether the missing 167 passengers did not board the train or got down after boarding it, the Haridwar DM said.

Special trains have been running since May 11 from different parts of the country to bring back stranded migrants to Uttarakhand.