Bihar train accident UPDATES: PM Modi condoles, ex-gratia announced amid restoration efforts

Bihar train accident: 21 coaches of Northeast Express derailed near Buxar, Bihar on Wednesday night around 9.53 pm claiming 4 lives and leaving over 60 people injured. The overnight rescue operation is underway at the accident site, said an official on Thursday. According to initial reports, at least two AC III Tier coaches had toppled over while four other coaches jumped the tracks.

Four passengers had died in the accident, confirmed Buxar Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar.

The officials said “A Railway Police Force official said at least 70 passengers have been injured and shifted to local hospitals. Those with serious injuries were rushed to AIIMS, Patna,”
Bihar government announces ex-gratia
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 Lakh each to families of the people who died in the accident.

PM Modi's reaction
“Pained by the loss of lives due to the derailment of a few coaches of the North East Express. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for a quick recovery of the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to all those affected,” wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X.
What Railways Minister said
Reacting to the accident, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Railways will find the root cause of derailment and expressed condolences for the loss of lives.
The evacuation and rescue operations were completed and all coaches have been checked, he said.
The 23-coach 12506 North East Express had departed the Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi at 7:40 am on Wednesday for its nearly 33-hour journey to Kamakhya, about six kilometres away from Guwahati.

Trains to be affected
At least 18 trains operating on the route, including the Rajdhani Express between Delhi and Dibrugarh, have been diverted.

Image Source : INDIA TVTrains to be affected due to the accident

“The train was coming at a normal speed but suddenly we heard a loud sound and a plume of smoke rose out of the train. We rushed to see what happened. We saw that the train had derailed and the AC coaches were the most damaged,” Hari Pathak, a local resident said.
Television visuals showed locals rushing to the rescue of the passengers and helping them come out of at least two toppled coaches. The visuals also showed a woman passenger in a state of shock being helped out of a coach by locals. Several police officials were also seen at the spot helping rescue passengers from the train.

What Railways said
Chief Public Relations Officer of East Central Railway zone Birendra Kumar said the accident took place less than half an hour after the train left the Buxar station and was headed for Ara.
“The derailment took place near Raghunathpur station where the train does not have a scheduled stoppage,” he said.
Relief measures were initiated immediately after the incident, with ambulances and doctors rushing to the site.
Bihar government's statement
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav issued a statement after the accident. The departments of disaster management and health have been asked to take immediate steps to ensure the quickest possible relief to as many people as possible, it read.
Yadav said, “I have also spoken to the district magistrates of Buxar and Bhojpur (where Ara is headquartered) with instructions to reach the site at the earliest and speed up relief work.”
A railways official said alternative arrangements have been made to ferry passengers of the derailed train to their respective destinations.
A scratch rake was dispatched from Patna to ferry passengers from the accident site, the official said. A scratch rake is a temporary rake with a similar configuration as the original train. Six buses too were sent to the accident site to evacuate the passengers to safety.
A railway official said one rake has been arranged from Ara to end the stranded passengers to their onward journeys.
Assam CM's reaction
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he has received the news of the derailment of Northeast Express 12506 – from Anand Vihar to Kamakhya and his administration is closely monitoring the situation and were establishing contact with local authorities and other agencies.

Local administration in action
Deepak Kumar, Inspector, Railway Police Force said medical teams have been sent to the spot and the district administration had alerted local hospitals in Buxar town.
Railways releases helpline numbers
The railways issued emergency helpline numbers for passengers – 9771449971 (Patna), 8905697493 (Danapur), 8306182542 (Ara), 8306182542 and 7759070004.
Officials said, “War rooms have been established for monitoring and early restoration of the coaches and rescue operations were going on in full swing,”
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ | India launches 'Operation Ajay' to bring back citizens from war-torn Israel