Rajya Rani derailment: Rampur SP says cannot rule out sabotage, Adityanath and Prabhu announce compensation

A three-feet portion of the track where eight coaches of the Rajya Rani Express derailed on Saturday was missing and sabotage angle cannot be ruled out, Uttar Pradesh police said.

KK Chaudhri, Rampur SP, who visited the accident site, said the track was found broken and some of its portion buried."Sabotage cannot be ruled out," he said when asked about possible reasons behind the accident.

A railway source in New Delhi also said the derailment was caused, prima facie, due to the rail fracture. "Weld was found broken. But the reason of the fracture would be ascertained through investigation only," the source said.

Chaudhri said an investigation has been initiated and entire fact would come out only after its completion.

The accident occurred two kilometers from Rampur junction and about 100 meters from the Kosi river bridge.

While Rampur police said 15 passengers were injured, three of them seriously, the railways have maintained that only two passengers-- Amit Katiyar and Megh Singh-- have received injuries.

According to the police, seven passengers have been discharged from the district hospital after first aid treatment. The three seriously injured passengers are out of danger, the SP said. Several senior railway and police officers are present on the site.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 for each of the seriously injured passengers in the derailment of the Rajya Rani Express near Rampur on Saturday. The railway Minister has also ordered an enquiry into the accident.

Eight coaches of Lucknow-bound Meerut-Lucknow Rajya Rani Express derailed at 8.15 am near Rampur in Uttar Pradesh leaving at least two passengers injured. Railways sources said two of the eight affected coaches have capsized. However, there was no casualty, Northern Railway spokesperson Neeraj Sharma said.

"Personally monitoring situation.Directed senior officers to rush to the spot.Ensure speedy relief and rescue operations (sic)," Prabhu tweeted.

The Minister also said on the social networking site that an enquiry has been ordered and strict action will be taken against defaulters.

Adityanath also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in accident while Rs 25,000 to those who suffered minor injures, a state government spokesman said.

The CM has asked Minister of State for Irrigation Baldev Olakh to distribute the financial help on the spot, the spokesperson said.

Adityanath has asked district officials to continue the relief and rescue operations on a war footing and directed the Chief Secretary, and the Principal Secretary, Home, to effectively monitor them.

Top railways officials, including Moradabad DRM Pramod Kumar, have reached the spot and medical teams have been pressed into action. Meanwhile, IG ATS, Aseem Arun, has rushed a team to Rampur to probe the matter keeping in mind the "sensitivity" of the issue, a UP home department spokesman said.

ASP Noida, ATS, Brijesh Kumar has left for Rampur and a team already present on the spot has started the probe, he said. The Railways have also operationalised help-lines to facilitate communication between the affected passengers and their family members.