Indore-Patna train tragedy: Meet the canine hero who saved 15 lives

The death toll from the train accident in Pukhraya near Kanpur, India has gone up to 145, authorities said.

At least 120 people are dead after the Indore-Patna Express derailed at 03:00 local time on Sunday (21:30 GMT Saturday), near the city of Kanpur. Two railroad cars were severely damaged, and others hung precariously off the tracks as rescue operations were underway. Victims are 142 and injured people are at least 200.The train derailed in the early hours of Sunday, when, according to survivors, passengers allegedly were sleeping. The Indore-Patna Express usually runs overloaded because it is the only train that connects Patna to Indore and many from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh live in this part of the state.

North central railway spokesperson said, a special train from Kanpur to Rajendra Nagar – Patna last evening left with the remaining stranded passengers. Kanpur, located in Uttar Pradesh state, is almost 300 miles southeast of New Delhi, the nation’s capital.

Prime Minister Modi further mentioned that the accident will be probed and asked the railways to work toward achieving the zero accident target to make train journeys safe. Trains on this routes have been diverted and others have been cancelled.

Hundreds of injured were being treated in nearby hospitals, including many young children who had become separated from relatives.

While the exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, initial reports blame track fracture.

“I was asleep and suddenly woke up to a deafening noise, after which I found myself thrown on the floor of the coach”, Amit Krishna a witness said.

Politician Mayawati, who uses only one name, and is one of Modi’s biggest rivals in the state, said the government should have “invested in mending tracks instead of spending billions and trillions of rupees on bullet trains”, media reported. Over 150 passengers have been injured, according to CNN News 18.

Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhu visited the accident site and reviewed the rescue operations and offered all possible support to the affected.

It occurred near Kanpur city, a major railway junction and a key link in India’s rail network for connecting the eastern and western parts of the country.