Hours after the Delhi-bound Goa Express rammed into the stationary Mewar Express at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, leaving 22 dead and several injured, senior railway officials held the driver of the Goa Express responsible for the accident.
“The driver (of Goa Express) ignored the signal and rammed the train into the standing Mewar Express. We suspect the latter had halted suddenly as someone had pulled the chain,” said Vivek Sahay, general manager, railways (Allahabad zone). Divisional railway manager Rajendra Tripathi concurred. The mishap took place minutes after 4.50am.
The impact of the collision was so strong that two bogies of the Mewar Express were thrown 10 feet off the tracks. The Goa Express engine ripped open the last bogie of the other train and entered deep into the luggage compartment.
Rescuers said 17 passengers in compartments for women and disabled were trapped between the luggage bogie and the engine. They were rescued after a couple of hours.
Senior railway officials said the Mewar Express had left the Mathura platform around 4.40am but made an unscheduled stop at the Alwar-Bjana bridge on the outskirts of the city. The Goa Express left the platform at 4.50am on the same track.
“There was a loud noise and we saw two bogies thrown off the tracks. People were crying for help. We told the local authorities to bring help,” said Ajay Sharma, a local resident.
Sahay said at least 350 personnel of the paramilitary, local police and 55 engineers from the army were carrying out rescue operations.
