Nine persons were killed and four others seriously injured after they were hit by a goods train near Sirai station last night, a railway official said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed sorrow over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed.
The accident took place around 8.30 pm last night near the Sirai station on the Kiul-Gaya section in Danapur division of East Central Railway.
Some passengers were walking on the tracks in order to cross a bridge over a rivulet to go home. They got down at the station from the Rampurhat-Gaya passenger train.
The passengers could not see a goods train coming on the second track due to a strong windstorm and darkness. They panicked when the train came closer and were hit by it, Lakhisarai District Magistrate, Sunil Kumar Sinha said.
Seven persons died on the spot. Later, two others succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, the DM said.
Train movement on the Kiul-Gaya section remained suspended for more than four hours, the public relations officer of Danapur division, R K Singh said.
The victims were identified as Suresh Yadav (50), Saroj Devi (45), her son Rohit (10), Asha Devi (50), Purshottam Kumar (25), Mangal Yadav (58), Munni Devi (38), Sanjay Kumar (17) and Jhunna Kumari (12), a railway official said.
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