16 killed as train rams into bus in Punjab

Moga, Dec 14 (UNI) As many as 16 passengers were killed and same number of passengers were injured, three seriously, when a Mini Bus in which they were travelling was hit by Satluj Express at a railway crossing near Chuharchak village in the district this morning.

According to Deputy Commissioner Satwant Singh Johal among the deceased were eight children who were on their way to school.

The deceased were identified as Bika Singh, Shinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Kamaljeet Kaur, Jagdeep Singh and Harjit Kaur, Sunita Devi of Mullan Pur, Surjiit Singh from Jagrao, Jagdev Singh and also other Jagdev Singh both from Mullanpur, Rajdeep Kaur of Chuharchak, Sandeep Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Sukhwinder Singh, Surjit Kaur (60) of Daudhar and Amrinder Kaur.

All the injured were taken to Jagraon Hospital, while the three injured whose conditions were serious have been reffered to DMC Hospital Ludhiana.

Senior officers of Railways, the Moga Deputy commissioner, Ferozpur DIG, Moga SSP LK Yadav rushed to the spot and supervised the the rescue operation.

According to the Deputy Commissoner the preliminary enquiry revealed that when Jagraon-Badhni Kalan bound mini bus arrived at New Chuharchak crossing which was closed due to expected arrival of the train was opened by the gate man. In the mean time the train which was coming from Ludhiana rammed into the mini bus.

The Railways Police have registered a case of negligence against the gate man Kulvinder Singh and Mini Bus driver Iqbal Singh under sections 304, 337, 120 B of the IPC and 175 Railways Act in GRP station Faridkot.

The bus driver escaped unhurt as he jumped out of the mini bus when he saw the train.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Badal, who visited the site and Jagraon Hospital, has expressed shock and grief over the tragic incident.

In his message, Mr Badal said that the next of kin of deceased would be adequately compensated as per the state government rules.

He has directed the district administration to bear all the cost of treatment of the injured.

UNI