Datia train crash
Encyclopedia
The Datia train accident was a railroad accident that occurred on 3 October 2005 involving a passenger train near Datia
in India
's Madhya Pradesh
Province. The accident occurred just three weeks before the Veligonda rail disaster which killed 114 people.
The overcrowded Bundelkhand Express from Varanasi
to Gwalior was apparently travelling at over six times the legal speed limit, when it overshot a sharp turn near the town of Datia. The engine and six coaches jumped the track and crashed through a signalman's box before coming to rest nearby in a crumpled heap. 16 people were killed and over 100 people were injured, with dozens having to be cut out of the wreckage by rescue teams. The train did not catch fire following the accident.
The driver, who was believed to have been travelling at 90km/h, was killed in the crash, the Railway Ministry admitted responsibility for the incident, and promised 500,000 rupees (approximately £6,500 or $13,000) and a reserved future job on the railway to the family of each victim.
Datia
Datia is a small rural town and a municipality in Datia district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative center of Datia District. It was formerly the seat of the eponymous princely state in the British Raj. Datia is situated near Gwalior and on the border with Uttar...
in 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...
's Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
Province. The accident occurred just three weeks before the Veligonda rail disaster which killed 114 people.
The overcrowded Bundelkhand Express from Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
to Gwalior was apparently travelling at over six times the legal speed limit, when it overshot a sharp turn near the town of Datia. The engine and six coaches jumped the track and crashed through a signalman's box before coming to rest nearby in a crumpled heap. 16 people were killed and over 100 people were injured, with dozens having to be cut out of the wreckage by rescue teams. The train did not catch fire following the accident.
The driver, who was believed to have been travelling at 90km/h, was killed in the crash, the Railway Ministry admitted responsibility for the incident, and promised 500,000 rupees (approximately £6,500 or $13,000) and a reserved future job on the railway to the family of each victim.