Trains collide in Punjab, 28 killed

NDTV.com: "At least 29 people have been killed and 43 others injured in a collision between two passenger trains in Hoshiarpur district. The Jammu-Ahmedabad Express and Jalandhar Pathankot Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) collided near Mansar village in Mukerian at around 11.40 am (IST).

Mansar village is between Chak-Kalan and Bangar railway stations in the Jalandhar-Pathankot railway section. At the time of the collision, the express was travelling from Jammu to Ahmedabad while the local train was going from Jalandhar to Pathankot. According to initial reports, the Jalandhar-Pathankot train was traveling on the wrong track.

Punjab Chief Minister who visited the accident site earlier in the day has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the train mishap. Those injured in the accident would be given Rs 25,000 each and the cost of treatment would be borne by the Government.

This is not the first time that there has been a head on collision between two trains traveling on the same track. In 1999 in one of the worst train disasters in Indian history, 285 people had died and 312 injured when Brahmaputra Mail train en route to New Delhi slammed into the Awadh-Assam Express traveling from New Delhi at Gaisal in West Bengal.

A committee was set up under Justice G N Ray to probe into what had led to the accident. In its report, the committee blamed the railway staff including the Divisional Railway Manager of Katihar, Divisional Signals Engineer and Senior Divisional Safety Officer for the mishap. However, no action was taken against the erring officials.

The Railways has Rs 17000 crore in its safety fund but its safety reports are never made public. But for Lalu Yadav, the accident could not have come at a worse time. In the last two days, questions have been raised on why the ministry is trying to shield the Railway Board Chairman, R K Singh.

It has been alleged that under Singh's tenure, maximum relaxations were given by the procurement directorate to manufacturers like the Bhillai Steel plant, which could have resulted in faulty tracks being laid."