36 Dead, 200 Hurt As Train Plunges Into River In Mp

At least 36 people were killed and nearly 200 injured when five bogies of the Ahmedabad-Howrah Express plunged from a bridge into a dry river bed near Champa in Madhya Pradeshs Bilaspur district last evening, officials said here.

Fifteen bodies have been recovered so far and a few more remained to be extricated, they said.

The five bogies of the 8033 express train, carrying some 300 passengers, went off the rails and fell into the Hasdeo river bed at around 1850 hours. According to reports, the five bogies that fell into the river were just behind the engine.

Top railway and district officials, including Bilaspur district collector Manoj Jhalani, have rushed to the scene of accident, about 800 km from Bhopal.

 

Railway officials said three second class sleeper coaches, a general compartment and a parcel van fell into the river bed. The death toll could rise.

A number of injured were admited to Bilaspur hospital, Dr Tripathi, a civil surgeon at the hospital, told PTI over the telephone. Senior railway officials said a first class coach was precariously perched atop the bridge.

Railway Board chairman M Ravindra said in New Delhi that the exact casualty figure was not known. However, later at night, the Railway Board said 15 bodies had been recovered and that a few more remained to be extricated.

Senior officials termed as highly exaggerated and uncorroborated media reports that said over 100 had been killed in the accident.

Madhya Pradesh minister for public health and family welfare Prem Narayan Thakur said medical teams had rushed to the accident site.