15 die, 52 injured as trains collide (Fourth Lead)

BHOPAL/NEW DELHI - Railway workers armed with steel cutters struggled to extricate passengers trapped in mangled train cars after a collision between two trains in Madhya Pradesh killed 15 people and wounded 52, officials said.

Passengers injured and unable to get out of the smashed coaches of the Intercity Indore-Gwalior Express cried out in pain at the Badarwas station near Guna as rescuers worked frantically to save them, officials and witnesses said.

The accident occurred at about 5 a.m. when a goods train rammed into the stationary Express when most of its passengers were asleep.

At least four coaches bore the impact of the massive collision, with one car taking the brunt and trapping several passengers.

A railway ministry statement put the death toll at 15 and said 10 of the 30 injured passengers were in serious condition.

But Western Railway chief spokesperson Piyush Mathur put the number of injured at 52, of which he said 35 were given first aid.

“Of the other 17, nine were admitted to the Guna district hospital and eight to the Shukri hospital,” the official told IANS.

Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniappa and Railway Board officials rushed to the accident from New Delhi, Jaipur and Jabalpur.

Helplines were set up in Badarwas, Guna, Bhopal, Shivpuri, Indore, Bina and Gwalior towns to provide information about the train passengers.

A relief train reached the accident spot from Kota and Jhansi, Mathur said, adding it would take some time to transfer the passengers and their luggage.

“Relief work is going on and an investigative officer is flying down from Mumbai to investigate,” railway official Anil Saxena told IANS.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs.5 lakh for each family of the dead.

The seriously wounded get Rs.1 lakh each and those who suffered minor injuries would get Rs.50,000.