Train services restored in Howrah-Cuttack line, no halt at Korai stn

Bhubaneswar: Train services have been restored in Howrah-Cuttack up and down line on Tuesday, a day after a goods derailed at Korai railway station in Jajpur district in which three persons were killed, officials said.

However, there will be no stoppage of trains at Korai railway station for five days as the restoration work after the accident is yet to be completed.

Several trains crossed Korai station in the day without a halt, they said, adding that the speed restriction is also imposed on the movement of trains.

The decision in this regard was taken after East Coast Railway General Manager Roop Narayan Sunkar and Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), M M Choudhury visited the spot on Monday for a preliminary inspection before a proper probe is launched.

Three women were killed and four others were injured after eight wagons of the goods train, en route to Chhatrapur in Odisha from Dongoaposi in Jharkhand, derailed and rammed into the foot over bridge, reaching up to its roof, at Korai railway station.

Among the deceased, Parbati (55) and her daughter Kandhei (26) were waiting for a passenger train to reach Cuttack for the latter’s MRI scan as she had developed a tumour in the abdomen. Deceased Kandhei’s 2.5-month-old son, Biswajit, had a miraculous escape.

Forty-seven-year-old Abujan Bibi also died in the accident. All the victims hail from the Jajpur district.

The railway station building was also damaged due to the derailment of the goods train. The mishap also affected rail traffic with several trains being cancelled, partially cancelled, and diverted.

The goods train that ploughed into the platform at Korai station had 54 wagons in total and eight of them rammed onto the platform. A few wagons also hit a footbridge at the station and badly damaged it. The mishap was so severe that a part of the station building, platform, ticket counter and passengers’ restroom was also damaged.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased in the train mishap, Rs 1 lakh assistance for the severely injured and Rs 25,000 for those who suffered minor injuries.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the train mishap and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the victims.