Gyaneshwari Express, a Mumbai-bound express train running from West Bengal, derailed in West Midnapore district at 1:30am on Friday morning, when Maoists sabotaged the rail tracks. Casualties of the 13 coaches of the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express that derailed include at least 20 deaths and 104 injuries. 5 of these coaches were hit by a speeding goods train.
According to Vivek Saiah (Member Traffic, Railway Board), the train driver had heard a blast just before the crash.
Railway Minister mamta Banerjee reached the spot of the mishap, and announced Rs. 5 lakh for the next of kin of the dead and Rs. 1 lakh each for the injured.
Gas cutters were used by relief workers to rescue trapped passengers and bodies. 9 coaches that were not damaged were used to carry the injured to Kharagpur for medical treatment. Unfortunately, the relief work was reported to have started about 3 and a half hours from the time of the accident.
This is the second Maoist attack on civilians in the past few weeks, the first being at Dantewada.