India: Chronology of major train accidents in recent years

Railways witnessed another train mishap on Sunday after a passenger train derailed on Konkan Railway route in Raigad district, killing 15 people and injuring 50 others.

The incident took place just outside a tunnel near Nidi village, when the engine of Diwa-Sawantwadi passenger train and four bogies derailed at around 10 AM between Nagothane and Roha railway stations.

Sunday’s train accident is the latest in a line of tragedies to have hit the Indian railways. Following is the chronology of major train mishaps in recent years:

February 17, 2014: Three passengers were killed and 37 others injured when ten coaches of a train derailed at Ghoti near Igatpuri in Nashik district. The mishap took place at around 6.20 am when 12618 Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Lakshadweep Mangala Express train was passing through the Ghoti-Igatpuri section, about 35 kms from Nashik.

January 08, 2014: Four persons were charred and five died due to suffocation after three sleeper coaches S2, S3 and S4 of the Bandra Dehradun Express were gutted in fire. The incident occurred between Dahanu Road and Gholvad station near Surat. While the cause of the fire was yet to ascertained, senior railway officers ruled out short circuit.

December 28, 2013: Twenty six people, including two children, were killed and 12 others injured when a fire broke out in the AC 3-tier B-1 coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express train at Kothacheruvu near Puttaparthi in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh. According to Railway officials who inspected the gutted coach, the area near berth 64, where the coach’s power panel was located, did not seem to have been burnt. According to reports, the fire broke out at 3:10 am, when most of the 65 passengers were sleeping. Some managed to escape by breaking the window panes or running to the next coach. The train was stopped and the B-1 coach detached to stop the fire from spreading.

November 02, 2012: The Raigarh-Vijaywada train ran over 8 people at Gotlam railway station in Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh. August 19: At least 37 pilgrims including women and children standing on rail tracks were killed when a speeding express train ploughed into them in Bihar’s Khagaria district. The ‘kanwarias’ (devotees of Lord Shiva) were on the tracks after alighting from the Samastipur-Saharsa passenger train when they were run over by the Saharsa-Patna Rajyarani Express travelling at 80 kmph.

June 30, 2012: Thirty-five passengers were charred to death and 25 others injured when a fire broke out due to a short circuit in a coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. Thirty-two bodies were recovered from the charred S-11 bogie of the train. According to Nellore district officials, the fire was noticed by a gateman at around 4.15 A.M who alerted officials.

May 31, 2012: Howrah-Dehradun Doon Express derailed near Jaunpur killing seven people.

May 22, 2012: Twenty-five people were killed when the Banglore-bound Hampi Express collided with a stationary goods train in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district.

March 20, 2012: Mathura-Kasganj passenger rammed a min bus at an unmanned level crossing near Hathras station killing 15.

January 11, 2012: Five persons were killed and nine others, including a child, injured in a collision between the Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail and a stationary goods train.

Nov 22, 2011: Seven people were burnt to death when the Howrah-Dehradun express caught fire in Giridih in Jharkhand.

July 10, 2011: Kalka mail derailed at Malwa station killing 71.

July 7, 2011: Mathura-Chapra Express rammed a bus at an unmanned crossing near Patiayali station killing 39.

May 22, 2011: Garibrath Express rammed a Bolero at an unmanned level crossing near Madhubani station killing 20.

Oct 20, 2010: Indore-Gwalior Intercity express collided with a goods train at Badarbas station killing 24.

July 19, 2010: Speeding Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express rammed into the Vanachal Express at Sainthia station in Bhirbhum district killing 66 people.

May 28, 2010: At least 150 people were killed after Gyaneshwari Express was derailed by Naxals in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

January 2, 2010: Prayagraj Express collided with Gorakhdham Express from its rear portion near Panki station killing 12.

November 1, 2009: Gorakhpur-Ayodhya passenger train hit a truck at unmanned level crossing near Tikri station, killing 18 people.

October 21, 2009: 23 persons were killed when Goa Express hit Mewad Express from behind near Mathura station killing 23.

April 28, 2009: Tanakpur-Kasganj passenger train hit a bus at an unmanned level crossing near Ghatpuri station killing 11 people.

February 22, 2009: A local passenger-train hit a Bolero in an unmanned level crossing near Barapalli station killing 15 people.

January 25, 2009: Kanpur-Allahabad train rammed a truck near Unchahar station killing 12 people.

Sunday 04 May 2014

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/chronology-of-major-train-accidents-in-recent-years/

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Mumbai train mishap: 12 killed, 30 injured as Diva-Sawantwadi passenger train derails near Mumbai

At least 12 people were killed and 30 injured when a passenger train derailed on Konkan Railway route in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Sunday.

The accident occurred just outside a tunnel near Nidi village, when the engine and four out of 20 bogies of Diwa-Sawantwadi passenger train derailed at around 10 am between Nagothane and Roha railway stations, about 120 kms from Mumbai.

Rescue operations were going on, police said, adding that workers were trying to extricate people trapped under bogies that overturned after derailment.

According to Raigad police control room, 12 passengers were killed and 30 injured in the mishap which occurred in a remote area. However, a Railway spokesperson put the death toll at nine.

Ten bodies have been sent to Nagothane primary health centre for postmortem. The bodies are yet to be identified.

Two bodies have been taken to government hospital at Roha for autopsy, police said.

Following the mishap, services on Konkan Railway route were suspended. Last month too, a goods train derailed on the route, affecting services.

The injured passengers are being rushed to Roha for medical treatment, police said.

Railways ordered an inquiry and Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge announced an ex-gratia of Rs.two lakh for those killed in the accident, Rs.50,000 for the grievously hurt and Rs.10,000 for passengers who suffered minor injuries.

Railway Board chairman Arunendra Kumar said Commissioner, Railway Safety, Chetan Bakshi will conduct the inquiry and has rushed to the site.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mumbai-train-accident-derailment-diwa-sawantwadi-express-roha/1/358961.html

Sunday 04 May 2014

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Bridge collapse in China kills 11

The death toll from the collapse of an uncompleted bridge in south China's Guangdong province has risen to 11 as of Sunday morning, said local authorities.

The stone arch bridge under construction in Liangkengkou village, Gaozhou city, collapsed at around 1:00 pm Saturday, said a publicity official of Gaozhou.

Rescuers pulled 27 people out of the debris, including five who were confirmed dead on the spot and eight others sustaining serious injuries, said the official, adding that six of the seriously wounded survivors later died in the hospital.

The unlicensed bridge was being built by the village itself. The local government ordered to suspend the project in April, but its construction resumed covertly during the past May Day holiday, said the official.

One other person had managed to get out.

He says the construction of the unlicensed bridge had been arranged by the village committee, and that three people were in police custody.

Sunday 04 May 2014

http://www.ecns.cn/2014/05-04/112159.shtml

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255 buried bodies identified in N. Afghan landslide: official

Up to 255 victims were identified out of hundreds of villagers buried under their collapsed houses in a deadly landslide Friday in northern Afghan province of Badakhshan, a provincial disaster official said Saturday.

"We have talked to relatives of victims. The disaster management department only find and registered the identification of 255 buried people out of hundreds trapped villagers in Aab Bareek village landslide of the Argo district ," Sayyed Abdullah Homayyon Dehqan, provincial director of disaster management department, told Xinhua.

He corrected earlier reports that 255 bodies were retrieved. Only three bodies were recovered, including a women and a child, he said.

The remote village located a four-hour drive from provincial capital Faizabad city, 315 km northeast of Afghan capital of Kabul.

The natural calamity was triggered by recent heavy rains in the mountainous province.

Earlier in the day, Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued an order announcing Sunday, May 4, as a national mourning day to observe the catastrophe, presidential spokeswoman Adela Raz said in her twitter account.

"There are around 1,000 houses in the village. Over 300 homes are buried. The rescue teams are still in the fear of mudsliding at the site until now," Dehqan noted.

More than 2,100 people were confirmed dead following two mudslides within an hour on midday Friday, provincial government spokesman Ahmad Naweed Froutan told local media.

No official statement was released by government to confirm the exact number of deaths as of Saturday night.

"Our estimates show that hundreds of people were buried under the mud and rubble triggered by landslide. It has been very difficult to give you a clear number of deaths and missing now," disaster official Dehqan said.

More than 4,500 villagers were evacuated to higher locations in the area surrounded by muddy hills and are living in tents. Rescue teams and security forces are distributing food and clean water to them, Dehqan said. Over 230 tons of flour had reached the village and would be distributed to villagers soon.

"I had gone to village bazaar. After I backed I could not find my home. My house turned to a grave for my four children and wife. They are under tons of mud. I cannot see their dead bodies. I do not know where to stay tonight," Peer Qual, the only survivor of a family, told Xinhua at the site.

Sunday 04 May 2014

http://english.cntv.cn/2014/05/04/ARTI1399162866729620.shtml

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Death toll rises to 10 in Colombia mine disaster

Rescue workers recovered more bodies Saturday of people killed in a landslide at an illegal gold mine in western Colombia, raising the death toll to 10, with an additional six feared dead.

Miners had been laboring with hand tools to extract gold from the open pit mine when it was hit by an avalanche of mud, rock and earth on Wednesday.

The mine employed local men and women, sometimes from the same families, but neither the workers nor the facility were properly credentialed.

"Today, we located seven bodies; those of four men and three women. And we still have six people missing," said Juan Sandoval, a civil defense spokesman in the Cauca department town of Santander de Quilichao.

Three bodies had been found earlier, so the fatalities stand at 10.

"The bodies all were located close to one another. Many of them were there with their shovels," Sandoval added.

Colombia has upwards of 14,000 mines, more than half of which operate without proper permits, officials said. The government even has confiscated heavy excavation equipment at some illegal sites.

It was the second mining accident in Colombia in less than a week.

Last Saturday in the northwestern department of Antioquia, four miners died from inhaling toxic gas in an unlicensed mine.

Colombia has upwards of 14,000 mines, more than half of which operate without proper permits, officials said. The government even has confiscated heavy excavation equipment at some illegal sites.

Sunday 04 May 2014

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/death-toll-rises-to-10-in-colombia-mine-disaster-518003

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Death toll in South Korea ferry disaster rises to 236

Eight more bodies were recovered Saturday from the ferry that sank off South Korea last month, reports said, amid concern that some of the missing may never be found.

Divers focused on previously unopened rooms of the sunken South Korean ferry, pulling eight more bodies during a search effort Saturday hampered by strong currents.

“It took a while to develop routes, but after the routes were developed to some degree, opening up the rooms and getting inside worked out in a short period of time,” emergency task force spokesperson Ko Myung-seok told The Associated Press.

With the search of six rooms on the third and fourth levels of the Sewol ferry, which capsized on April 16, the death toll in the disaster has risen to 236 victims. The number of missing passengers fell to 66.

Officials said they’ve finished searching 58 out of 64 passenger cabins inside the ship. Some of those rooms have been difficult to enter because they’re blocked by floating objects.

Seventeen days after the 6,825-tonne Sewol capsized and sank, 236 people have been confirmed dead with 66 still unaccounted for, according to Yonhap news agency.

Earlier Saturday, the search had been suspended due to fast currents and high waves whipped up by gusty winds, according to a coastguard spokesman.

Dive teams have been working in challenging and sometimes hazardous conditions.

They have to grope their way down guiding ropes to the sunken ship, laying on its side on the seabed at a depth of 40 metres (132 feet).

They have to struggle through narrow passageways and rooms littered with floating debris in silty water.

Park Seung-Ki, spokesman for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said bedding materials from the ship were found as far as 30 kilometres (around 20 miles) from the disaster site on Friday.

As days go by, personal belongings and debris from the ship have been spotted further and further away, fuelling concerns that strong currents may have swept some bodies into the open sea.

One body was retrieved Friday by a fishing vessel four kilometres away from the recovery site, and another was found two kilometres away on Wednesday.

As a precaution, recovery workers put rings of netting around the site days ago.

The relatives of those still missing are insisting that all the bodies be recovered before efforts begin to raise the sunken ferry.

The Sewol capsized on April 16 with 476 people on board -- more than 300 of them from the same Danwon High School in Ansan city, just south of Seoul.

It is one of South Korea's worst peacetime disasters but public anger and frustration has been amplified due to greed and irresponsibility being blamed for the poor handling of the catastrophe.

The captain and 14 of his crew have been arrested for being the first to leave the ship without helping all passengers to safety.

The government has come under strong criticism over the initially slow rescue response as well as lax safety standards and collusion between industry and regulators, which were partly blamed for the scale of the disaster.

Sunday 04 May 2014

http://news.yahoo.com/recovery-bodies-korean-ferry-suspended-040027139.html

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