Gonda train accident: Probe blames negligence of engineering section

New Delhi, July 21: An investigative report has revealed that negligence by the railway engineering section was the primary cause of the derailment of the 15904 Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, sources have said.

At least four people were killed and several injured on Thursday in the accident which happened in Pikaura when the train was en route to Assam's Dibrugarh from Chandigarh.

The investigation report prepared by senior railway officials, as per the sources, has revealed that a trackman, performing the duties of a keyman at Jhilahi, had warned a junior engineer (JE) about a defect on the track between Motiganj and Jhilahi approximately an hour before the accident. However, the section officer failed to show caution, leading to the Dibrugarh Express derailing at high speed.

The committee report also stated that the rail track's fastening was not in good condition, and the officers failed to protect the site or put up caution signs despite being informed prior, the sources mentioned.

After taking statements from the train driver, manager, station master, and other employees and conducting a technical inspection of the accident site, a team of six North Eastern Railway (NER) officers concluded that the engineering department's negligence was responsible for the train accident.

Due to the absence of a caution board, the Dibrugarh Express passed over the compromised track at a speed of 80 km per hour instead of the recommended 30 km/hr, resulting in the derailment at 2.28 p.m., after which, at 2.30 p.m. the Motiganj station master was given a caution memo about the issue.

The Chief Public Relations Officer of the North Eastern Railway Zone, Alok Shrivastav, however, said that an investigation was underway and a conclusion cannot be drawn yet.