Union ministers visit UP train accident site

Lucknow, May 27 (IANS) Union ministers Kalraj Mishra and Manoj Sinha, both parliamentarians from Uttar Pradesh, Tuesday visited the site of the train accident in Sant Kabirnagar in which at least 25 people were killed, and supervised relief operations.

Accompanied by Gorakhpur Lok Sabha member Yogi Adityanath and other leaders, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Mishra and Minister of State for Railways Sinha spoke to railway officials present at the site near Chureb station.

The ministers said they were at the accident site on the directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to get a first hand account of the relief operations after the accident which also left over 100 people injured.

The ministers were briefed by railway officials on the possible reasons behind the accident.

They also visited the injured at the district hospital in Khalilabad, railway hospital and BRD Medical College and Hospital.

Mishra told reporters that officials and railway staff will not be spared if found guilty.

Sinha said a probe has been launched and efforts were on to pinpoint the mistakes and fix accountability.

He also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs.2 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs.1 lakh compensation to those injured.

The Gorakhdham Express Monday rammed into a stationary goods train, killing at least 25 people and injuring over 100 others, some critically. Many trains were diverted and cancelled after the accident. The broken track was repaired Tuesday and efforts were underway to restore normal rail traffic, officials said.