Four Killed as New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express Derails in Bihar

Chapra:  Four people were killed after the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed near Bihar's Chapra town in the early hours of Wednesday, when most passengers were sleeping. Nine people have been seriously injured in the incident that the Railways Ministry has blamed on sabotage by Maoists. At around 2:15 am, the train jolted to a stop and nine coaches and the pantry car derailed and overturned. Seven other coaches and the power car went off track at the Chapra station about 75 kms from Patna. Witnesses say there was a "loud noise" and the driver applied emergency brakes, but it is not known why. Some people are still believed to be trapped in the mangled bogies. Railway and local officials supervised rescue and relief efforts at the spot with a large crowd of people looking on. (see pics) The Railways Ministry has alleged sabotage, but the Bihar police have contradicted them. The train, which had started from New Delhi at 9:30 last night, was passing through an area where Maoists had called a shutdown. "Reasons are said to have been sabotage and there was a bandh called by Maoists... that is why it occurred is what I have understood but the exact reasons aren't known," Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda said. The Bihar police and administration, however, ruled out sabotage. "It is hardly 3 km away from the town area...it is a very busy track. So it really doesn't suit for a sabotage thing," Kundan Kumar, Chapra's District Magistrate, told NDTV. The Bihar police say it is a rule for the Railways to arrange a pilot engine to escort trains that pass through troubled areas, but it was not done in this case. "There are bandhs everyday; how much escort should we provide?" Railway official Madhuresh Kumar said. The Railways Ministry has announced Rs. two lakh compensation for those killed, one lakh for the injured.  Rs. 20,000 will be given to those who suffered minor injuries. Senior officials of the East Central Railway and a medical team, meanwhile, are supervising relief and rescue operations at the site. A relief train has been arranged to move the other passengers to the next station from where they will be taken to their destination. NDTV