In the fourth fog-related train mishap in the last fortnight, at least three persons were killed and 14 others injured when the Kalindi Express rammed into Shram Shakti Express near Tundla on a wintry Saturday morning.
Amid poor visibility, the Bhiwani-Kanpur Central Kalindi Express hit the stationary train from rear near Nitawali- Tundla crossing at around 8.15 am, police and railway officials said.
The guard van and the next coach of Shram Shakti Express, going from Delhi to Kanpur, were damaged in the mishap.
"Three persons have been killed and 14 others injured," North-Central Railway spokesperson R D Vajpai said.
The Railway Ministry ordered an inquiry by Commissioner, Railway Safety, P K Vajpayee into the accident though railway officials in Delhi said primarily, thick fog was believed to be the cause of the mishap.
The Railways announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the dead, Rs one lakh to those seriously injured and Rs 10,000 to those with simple injuries, Railway Ministry spokesperson Anil Kumar Saxena said.
Earlier on January 2, ten people were killed and 45 injured in three train accidents in Uttar Pradesh amid dense fog and near zero visibility conditions.
A North-Central Railway spokesperson said medical and relief vans have been sent to the spot and the injured have been admitted to Tundla hospital. All passengers in the affected coaches have been rescued, he said.
Officials said railway staff immediately swung into action to restore the track. A number of trains, including Lucknow-bound Shatabdi Express, Kalka-Howrah Kalka Mail, and North-East Express have been diverted via other routes.
The Railways have sent three senior officials to the mishap site. They are Railway Board Member (Mechanical) Praveen Kumar, Director General of Railway Health Services V K Ramteke and Additional Member (Signal and Telecom) K B Sharma.
On January 2, eight women and two men were among those killed when the Bhiwani-Gorakhpur Gorakhdham Express rammed into stationary Prayagraj Express at Panki railway station in Kanpur district in heavy fog.
On the same day, the Delhi-Sitamarhi Licchavi Express hit the stationary Magadh Express near Etawah, injuring the driver, while in Pratapgarh, the Sarayu Express rammed into a tractor-trolley at an unmanned railway crossing. PTI
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