2009 Mathura train accident
Encyclopedia
The Mathura train collision was a passenger train
collision
that occurred at 05:00 local time (01:30 UTC
) in near dark conditions near Mathura, in the state of Uttar Pradesh
, India
, on Wednesday, 20 October 2009. At least ten people were initially feared dead in the incident. This occurred when the Goa Express
rammed into the stationary Mewar Express
from behind at an outer signal, about 3 km from outer Mathura. Both the trains were headed for Delhi. Further details suggested that the death toll crossed 20.
hit the other train from behind at 4.50am just 3km from the outer signal of the Mathura junction station. The Mewar Express
had come to a halt after Munna Sajid, an undertrial who was being escorted by Rajasthan
policemen, pulled the chain. Sajid, an alleged dacoit who was being brought for a hearing in Delhi
, reportedly escaped by jumping from the moving train. The railway ministry claimed that prima facie the accident was caused by "human error" and blamed the Goa Express
drivers for failing to spot the signal warnings on the line. The driver, R K Chaturvedi, and assistant driver Laxmikant have been taken off duty pending inquiry. An official said the driver wasn't drunk.
See [times of india article 3 below]
sought a CBI
inquiry into the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of the kin of those killed in the train mishap. "The seriously injured passengers would receive Rs 1 lakh while those with minor injuries will get Rs 10,000," she said. In Mathura, UP agriculture minister Laxminarain Choudhry announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of the kin of the deceased besides offering a job.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
collision
Collision
A collision is an isolated event which two or more moving bodies exert forces on each other for a relatively short time.Although the most common colloquial use of the word "collision" refers to accidents in which two or more objects collide, the scientific use of the word "collision" implies...
that occurred at 05:00 local time (01:30 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
) in near dark conditions near Mathura, in the state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, on Wednesday, 20 October 2009. At least ten people were initially feared dead in the incident. This occurred when the Goa Express
Goa Express
The Goa Express , is a daily superfast train run by Indian Railways connecting Vasco da Gama, and Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi...
rammed into the stationary Mewar Express
Mewar Express
The Mewar Express is a train running from Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi to Udaipur City. It traverses the 744 km journey in 12 hours, with 12 halts in between. The erstwhile kingdom in southern Rajasthan encompassing Udaipur was called Mewar, and hence the name.It stops at H...
from behind at an outer signal, about 3 km from outer Mathura. Both the trains were headed for Delhi. Further details suggested that the death toll crossed 20.
Derailment
According to S S Khurana, chairman railway board, the Goa ExpressGoa Express
The Goa Express , is a daily superfast train run by Indian Railways connecting Vasco da Gama, and Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi...
hit the other train from behind at 4.50am just 3km from the outer signal of the Mathura junction station. The Mewar Express
Mewar Express
The Mewar Express is a train running from Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi to Udaipur City. It traverses the 744 km journey in 12 hours, with 12 halts in between. The erstwhile kingdom in southern Rajasthan encompassing Udaipur was called Mewar, and hence the name.It stops at H...
had come to a halt after Munna Sajid, an undertrial who was being escorted by Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
policemen, pulled the chain. Sajid, an alleged dacoit who was being brought for a hearing in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, reportedly escaped by jumping from the moving train. The railway ministry claimed that prima facie the accident was caused by "human error" and blamed the Goa Express
Goa Express
The Goa Express , is a daily superfast train run by Indian Railways connecting Vasco da Gama, and Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi...
drivers for failing to spot the signal warnings on the line. The driver, R K Chaturvedi, and assistant driver Laxmikant have been taken off duty pending inquiry. An official said the driver wasn't drunk.
See [times of india article 3 below]
Compensation
Railway minister Mamata BanerjeeMamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee is the 11th and current chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal. She is the first woman to hold the office. Banerjee founded All India Trinamool Congress in 1997 and became chairperson, after separating from the Indian National Congress...
sought a CBI
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
inquiry into the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of the kin of those killed in the train mishap. "The seriously injured passengers would receive Rs 1 lakh while those with minor injuries will get Rs 10,000," she said. In Mathura, UP agriculture minister Laxminarain Choudhry announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of the kin of the deceased besides offering a job.