MP train accident: Toll may cross 50 as many feared washed away

The official death toll in Tuesday’s train derailments in Madhya Pradesh was 31 but it could cross 50 as it is feared that flash floods that caused the accidents washed away many passengers on board the two trains.

Updated on: Aug 8, 2015, 18:17:27 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Harda

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The death toll in Tuesday’s train derailments in Madhya Pradesh reached 34 but it could cross 50 as rescuers and relatives feared flash floods that caused the fatal accidents washed away many passengers on board the two packed trains.

The-exact-reason-behind-the-derailments-is-not-yet-known-Railway-officials-said-heavy-rains-in-the-past-few-days-might-have-damaged-railway-tracks-HT-Photo

The Kamayani Express on its way to Varanasi from Mumbai derailed shortly before midnight on Tuesday near Harda town while the Janata Express travelling in the opposite direction to Mumbai from Patna slid off the tracks soon after. The trains derailed after flash floods set off by torrential rains weakened tracks over the swollen Kala Machak river.

Officials said three more bodies — including two women — were fished out from Kala Machak on Thursday but the toll could be much higher as more than a dozen families reached Harda and nearby towns looking for missing relatives who were travelling in the two trains.

These families reported 17 missing passengers but when they were shown photos of a dozen unidentified bodies, the identity of only two could be ascertained.

“This indicates 15 missing people might add to the list of 31 declared dead so far,” an official said.

The administration directed officials to look for bodies that might have washed away 15-20km downstream after the National Disaster Response Force team stopped their rescue efforts on Thursday.

Family members recounted their frustration after repeated rounds of hospitals, police stations and Harda railway station for news about their missing loved ones.

A truck driver from Uttar Pradesh who survived the crash said he won’t leave Harda till he found his 17-year-old adopted son. “I can’t forget that moment near the door of the coach after the accident when I was holding his hand tightly and then in a flash he was gone,” said Krishna, who had adopted his brother’s son after four daughters of his own.

Read

First pics: Passengers reach Harda station after MP train mishap

Train tragedy in MP: Sudden flash flood may have caused accident

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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