Train mishap 'accident or incident’, asks Mamata

Kolkata, Jun 1: West Bengal Chief Minister

on Thursday demanded an inquiry into the derailment of five bogies of the Howrah-Dehradun Doon Express in Uttar Pradesh stating it should be probed whether it was an 'accident or an incident'.

"Since the accident has taken place during a countrywide bandh we want this to be probed. Who has caused this mishap? It has to be seen whether this is truly an accident or an incident," Banerjee, a former Railway Minister, told reporters at the state secretariat.

"We have also seen this during the Jnaneswari Express accident. I am shocked. But mere sympathy for the accident victims is not enough," she said referring to train disaster of May 10, 2010 in which 141 passengers were killed in West Midnapore district.

Asked specifically if she suspected sabotage, Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress Chief, said that this was for the railways to ascertain.

Stating that some of the victims were from Bengal as per the passenger list, Banerjee said, "From the information available with me, five bogies from S11 to S15 derailed, causing casualties."

Stating that according to her information from Railway Minister Mukul Roy four passengers had died, she said that he would leave for the accident site near Jaunpur in UP by a special train.

PTI