POTOBERA/RANCHI: The engine of Howrah-Mumbai Mail suffered a facet collision with the twentieth wagon of a freight prepare, Southeastern Railways (SER) common supervisor Anil Kumar Mishra mentioned, including the products prepare pilot had dragged the derailed wagon for almost a km, probably unaware that one thing was incorrect.
“We’re looking for out the circumstances resulting in the accident, and whether or not anybody was conscious that the freight prepare had derailed,” the official mentioned.
Om Prakash Charan, the chief public relations officer of SER, mentioned the loco-pilot and the assistant loco-pilot escaped with minor accidents which occurred after the affect of the collision broke the engine’s windshield. “The Fee of Railway Security (CRS) will conduct an in depth investigation,” he added. “The precise velocity of the prepare in the course of the time of collision will probably be ascertained in the course of the investigation,” Charan mentioned.
SER officers mentioned the 2 deceased males, P Bikash Kumar and Ajit Kumar Samal, have been residents of Odisha and have been speculated to deboard at Rourkela. Kumar was a resident of Railway Colony in Rourkela whereas Samal lived in Malgodown space of town. All casualties happened amongst passengers travelling in AC coaches. Each Kumar and Samal had deliberate to take a distinct night time prepare to Rourkela however missed it and ended up boarding the ill-fated Mumbai Mail as an alternative
“They have been standing close to the bathroom space within the three-tier coach B4 when the collision occurred,” a senior zonal official mentioned.
A lot of the passengers have been sleeping and have been thrown from their berths, resulting in accidents. “There was a collision sound and the coach leaned after which fell. I jumped off the berth to expire,” mentioned Saurabh Kumar, a passenger in one of many derailed AC coaches.
