Three passengers were killed and 23 others injured when 13 coaches of Ernakulam-bound Mangala Express derailed at Ghoti near Igatpuri railway station in Nashik district in the early hours of Friday.
The derailment took place at 6.25 pm, when the train was passing through the Ghoti-Igatpuri section. The 13 coaches that derailed comprised the compartments of S-7, S-8, S-9, S-10, S-11, pantry car, B-1, B-2, B-3, A-1, A-2, GS1 and SlR.
Two of the three passengers killed in the mishap were identified as Satya Bir Singh (40) from Pathoda in Haryana, and Raju Kushwaha (34) from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, while there was no confirmation as to the identity of the third deceased passenger till the evening.
Of the injured, two were rushed to the nearby Ghoti Hospital, while seven others were admitted to Nashik Civil Hospital. Another three injured passengers are undergoing treatment at Gramin Hospital, Ghoti, while 11 passengers were allowed to go after having been treated for minor injuries.
Following the derailment, over 450 passengers were brought by buses from the mishap site to Igatpuri station. A special train carrying the passengers of the derailed Mangala Express left from Igatpuri for Ernakulam at 12.30 pm. The special train will reach Ernakulam on Saturday evening.
The mishap resulted in the closure of the Kasara ghat section, leading to cancellation and diversion of several trains running on this route. Among the cancelled trains were: Manmad-Kurla-Godavari Express, Manmad-Mumbai Panchavati Express and Manmad-Pune Rajya Rani Express.
“The track restoration is going on at brisk pace. We expect the resumption of train services on the affected line in the early hours of Saturday,” a senior Central Railway official said.
Though the exact cause of mishap has not yet been established, preliminary reports suggested that the multiple fractures on the railway track might have contributed to the mishap.
On his part, Railway Board chairman Arunendra Kumar said in New Delhi: “The cause of the derailment will be ascertained only after the inquiry. Railway Commissioner for Safety has been asked to conduct the probe.”