Sunday pre-dawn 3:05 am, more that 2000 people were in their sleep when the mishap happened. The 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express were derailed when the train crossed Pukhrayan in the Jhansi-Kanpur section. Two coaches S2 and S3 bore the brunt of the derailment.
The death toll has reached to 140. It may increase as the bodies kept tumbling out. More than 200 people were injured. This train accident is the worst in last 6 years. The cause of the accident was rail fracture due to the expansion of the track in summer and contradiction in winter.
Earlier, India witnessed many such horrible train accidents which took more than 100 lives. Below is a list of 10 horrible and deadliest train accidents in India.
Derailment of an Indian Passenger Train, 17th July, 1937 – 119 Deaths
An Indian passenger train at about 1:20 am from Calcutta derailed near Bihta station, about 15 miles from Patna. At least 119 people were killed and 180 others were injured.
Hyderabad Train Accident, 28th September, 1954 – 139 Deaths
An express train from Hyderabad to Kazipet plunged into Yasanti river when the bridge collapsed. More than 300 passengers were travelling on the train. 139 people dead and more than 150 injured.
Secunderabad-Dronachallem Passenger Train Accident, 2nd September, 1956 – 125 Deaths
The disaster took place near Mahbubnagar on the Central Railway, about 100 km away from Hyderabad. The bridge collapsed under the train. The bridge was too old to bear the weight of the train. It lost its elasticity and the accident happened. More than 120 people lost their lives and more than 50 were injured.
Pamban-Dhanuskodi Passenger Train Disaster, 23rd December, 1964 – 150 Deaths
In 1964, December the Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train washed away by the Rameshwaram cyclone. All 150 passengers travelling in this train were announced dead. Some say this was off season so there were only 150 passengers otherwise the result could have been deadlier.
Bihar Train Accident, 6th June, 1981 – 800 Deaths
This accident is recorded as one of the deadliest ever rail accidents not only in India but in the world. The passenger train carrying more than 1000 passengers between Mansi and Saharsa. When it was crossing a bridge, it fell into the Bagmati river. Some say the cause of the accident was because of a cyclone, some say the reason was flash flood. Some blame the driver, as it was raining heavily and a cow was on the bridge and the sudden brake fell the train in the river.
The estimate of total deaths ranges from 500 to 800 or more.
Firozabad Rail Disaster, 20th June, 1995 – 358 Deaths
The second deadly rail accident after 1981 Bihar tragedy. The Kalindi Express was moving ahead to New Delhi when at night it hit a cow the brake was damaged. After that, the train was fully stopped. All the 900 passengers were safe till then. The disaster happened when another train the Purusotam Express was coming on the same track. The signalman couldn’t stop this express train and it collided with the fully stopped Kalindi Express. More than 350 people lost their lives and more than 400 were seriously injured.
Khanna Rail Accident, 26th November, 1998 – 212 Deaths
Two trains collided on the Khanna-Ludhiana section of India’s Northern Railway in Punjab. Calcutta-based Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express collided with six derailed coaches of the Amritsar-based Frontier Mail which were lying on the track. At least 212 passengers were killed.
Gaisal Train Disaster, 2nd August, 1999 – 268 Deaths
On 2nd August Awadh-Assam Express collided with Brahmaputra Mail at the Gaisal station, 310 miles from the city of Gauhati, Assam. The Brahmaputra Mail hit the Awadh-Assam Express from front at 1:30 am. The crash was such high speeds that the trains exploded and the engine of the Awadh-Assam was fully high in the air. The passengers of the both trains were blown into nearby buildings and field by the force of the explosion. The collision resulted 268 deaths and more than 350 injured.
Rajdhani Express Accident, 9th September, 2002 – 140 Deaths
The Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed near Rafiganj station between Gaya and Dehri-on-Sone stations. The train was heading towards New Delhi and the accident took place at around 10:40 pm. At least 140 people were killed in the accident. Reports say it was a deliberate derailment, it was sabotaged by a local Maoist terrorist group, the Naxalites.
Gyaneshwari Express Train Derailment, 28th May, 2010 – 170 Deaths
Mumbai bound Howrah Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express was derailed because of the bomb damaged rail between Khemashuli and Sardiha in West Midnapore district at 1:30 am midnight, and then struck by a goods train. The accident caused the death of 170 people and more than 250 people were injured.
These are the list of the deadliest train accidents in India till date. Many people lost their near ones, many lost their lives in their sleep. The wounds are still alive in the hearts of the families of the deceased.
Some of the cases, the person on duty were responsible or some of the cases, rail tracks were neglected by the Indian Railway. Yesterday’s accident was the example of the negligence of the rail track. These negligences cost many lives and the families will always suffer.
