Indian Railways Cancels Trains And Diverts Routes After Buxar Train Derailment

On Wednesday, in Buxar district of Bihar, six coaches of the 12506 Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express derailed near Raghunathpur station. The unfortunate incident resulted in at least four deaths and left around 50 people injured. This led to the Indian Railways cancelling two trains and diverting 21 others to ensure passenger safety and facilitate rescue operations.

Details of the Incident

The derailment occurred at approximately 9:53 pm, causing two AC III Tier coaches to topple over while four other coaches jumped off the tracks. Television visuals provided a grim sight of the accident site. Confirming casualties, Buxar Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar revealed that four passengers lost their lives in this tragic incident. A Railway Police Force official also confirmed that around 50 passengers were injured and have been moved to local hospitals for immediate medical attention.

Railway Schedule Disruptions

In light of this event, according to a statement by the East Central Railway zone, certain train services had to be cancelled or diverted onto alternative routes. Cancelled trains included Kashi Patna Jan Shatabdi Express (15125) and Patna Kashi Jan Shatabdi Express (15126). Among those diverted were Pune-Danapur SF Express (12149), Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (12424), Vikramshila Express (12368), Kamakhya Express (15623), Bhagalpur Garib Rath Express (22406) among others.

Emergency Measures Taken

To assist distressed passengers during this crisis situation, several emergency helpline numbers were issued by Indian Railways across different regions including Patna, Danapur, Ara as well as New Delhi's Anand Vihar Terminal and Pt.Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction. The derailment occurred less than half an hour after the 23-coach train departed from Buxar station, en route to Ara.

Rescue Operations

Rapid rescue operations were immediately launched at the site of derailment in Buxar. A combination of NDRF, SDRF, District administration, Railway officials and local residents came together as one team to assist in the rescue efforts. Television visuals showed locals rushing to help passengers out of the toppled coaches. A temporary rake with a similar configuration as the original train was dispatched from Patna to ferry passengers from the accident site.

Statements by Officials

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted about ongoing rescue operations on X and assured that restoration of tracks will commence soon after completion of rescue work. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also issued a statement directing departments of disaster management and health for immediate relief measures.

In conclusion, this tragic incident has once again highlighted the importance of stringent safety measures for Indian Railways. As investigations continue into what caused this unfortunate event, it is hoped that lessons are learnt and steps taken to prevent such incidents in future.