Four passengers have died and 2 are injured after several coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh express train derailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda today. The incident occurred in Pikaura, located between Gonda and Jhilahi in Uttar Pradesh. 

A rescue team has been sent to the site for relief operations. Visuals show passengers standing on the sides of the track with their luggage. Train number 15904 was heading to Dibrugarh in Assam from Chandigarh.

A 40-member medical team with 15 ambulances are at the spot and more ambulances are on their way to the accident site.

Out of the 12 coaches, four coaches of the AC compartment derailed a few kilometres before the Jhulahi railway station. Several trains have been impacted on the route and a few have been diverted, Pankaj Singh, CPRO, North Eastern Railways said. 

The route of the Katihar-Amritsar Express and Guwahati-Shrimata Vaishnodevi Katra Express has been diverted.

“I had a close shave, glad to be safe. Don’t worry I am fine,” a passenger who was onboard the train said. Videos from the accident site showed people taking out their luggage from the derailed coaches. One of the coaches flipped and turned to its left, with some passengers standing on top of it. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has brief about the accident and authorities are monitoring the situation.

‼️HCM Dr @himantabiswa has been briefed about the derailment of Dibrugarh – Chandigarh express in Uttar Pradesh.

HCM is monitoring the situation and the Government of Assam is in touch with relevant authorities.

— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) July 18, 2024

“Taking cognizance of the train accident in Gonda district has directed the district administration officials to reach the spot and speed up the relief work,” the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office said.

“The Chief Minister has instructed the officials to immediately take the injured to the hospital and provide them with proper treatment. He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the UP CMO added.

The railway medical can has reached the site and the North Eastern Railways has issued helpline numbers:

– Commercial Control: 9957555984
– Furkating (FKG): 9957555966
– Mariani (MXN): 6001882410
– Simalguri (SLGR): 8789543798
– Tinsukia (NTSK): 9957555959
– Dibrugarh (DBRG): 9957555960

A helpline number has been issued for the assistance of railway passengers as a result of the derailment of 15904 Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express on the down line between Motiganj-Jhilahi stations on the Barabanki-Gorakhpur railway section of Northeast Railway:

Lucknow – 8957409292
Gonda – 8957400965

Very sad news has been received about the death of many people in the accident in the Gonda district due to the derailment of some coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express,” Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said. 

जनपद गोंडा में चंडीगढ़-डिब्रूगढ़ एक्सप्रेस के कुछ डिब्बे पटरी से उतरने से हुए हादसे में कई लोगों के निधन होने की अत्यंत दुःखद सूचना प्राप्त हुई है।

ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि हादसे में घायलों को जल्द से जल्द स्वास्थ्य लाभ प्रदान करें और दिवंगत आत्माओं को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान…

— Keshav Prasad Maurya (@kpmaurya1) July 18, 2024

“I pray to God to provide speedy recovery to those injured in the accident and give place to the departed souls in his feet,” he said.

The District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Gonda are at the spot and four State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed.

“Sad news is coming from Gonda, UP. Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed. People are reported dead and injured in this tragic accident,” Congress posted on X.

यूपी के गोंडा से एक दुखद खबर आ रही है।

चंडीगढ़-डिब्रूगढ़ एक्सप्रेस पटरी से उतर गई। इस दुखद हादसे में लोगों की मृत्यु और घायल होने की सूचना है।

ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्माओं को शांति और घायलों को शीघ्र स्वास्थ्य लाभ प्रदान करें।

कांग्रेस के सभी कार्यकर्ताओं से अनुरोध है कि राहत और…

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 18, 2024

May God give peace to the departed souls and speedy recovery to the injured,” Congress said, adding that the party has directed its workers to extend their cooperation in relief and rescue work.

NEET-UG exam results are to be published in their entirety – cross-referenced by city and centre – by noon Saturday, the Supreme Court told the National Testing Agency – which is under-fire over allegations of leaked question papers and violation of marking protocol – on Thursday afternoon.

The identities of the students will, however, remain masked, the court instructed the NTA.

The court’s order followed a day of intense arguments over a clutch of petitions seeking a repeat, or cancellation, of the qualifying examination for undergraduate medical courses in the country. The original exam – attended by nearly 24 lakh aspiring medical professionals – was held on May 5.

The results were published last month but students could only access their individual scores.

The order to publish followed a plea by the petitioners. They argued that making the scores public would increase public confidence in the NTA. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the exam agency, opposed the request on grounds the test results were students’ private property.

“Entire results are never published… they are the personal property of students,” Mr Mehta reasoned, but the court seemed unimpressed, stating, “We the NTA to publish marks obtained by students in NEET-UG 2024 exam, while ensuring the identity of each student is masked.”

The order to breakdown these results by city and centre was also opposed by the NTA.

The three-member bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud overruled this point too.

“…the fact is there was a leak in Patna (in Bihar) and Hazairbagh (in Jharkhand). Question papers were disseminated. We want to find out if this was confined to those centres or widespread…”

“Students are at a handicap because they do not know the results. We want the students’ identity to be masked…. but let us see, centre-wise, what was the mark pattern…” the court explained.

The court, however, was unwilling to defer counselling for selected students.

Counselling, i.e., assigning selected students to medical colleges, is expected to begin Monday.

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