At least 14 people were killed and around 25 injured when a speeding Gonda-Ayodhya passenger train rammed into a truck at an unmanned level crossing.
At least 14 people were killed and around 25 injured when a speeding Gonda-Ayodhya passenger train rammed into a truck at an unmanned level crossing here this afternoon.
The incident occurred between Mankapur and Nawabganj railway stations near Chakrasool village at around 1330 hours, district magistrate Sukhlal Bharati said.
He said 13 train passengers and the driver of the truck, which was carrying sand, were killed in the accident which happened at an unmanned crossing.
Eleven, including the truck driver, died instantly while three succumbed on the way to the hospital, the DM said, adding those sitting on the roof and hanging on doors of the Ayodhya-bound train were killed.
He said the injured were admitted to various hospitals in Faizabad and Ayodhya, where condition of some of them was stated to be serious.
The train was packed as most of the passengers were going to Ayodhya to attend Purnima Fair beginning tomorrow.
The Railways have announced a compensation of Rs5 lakh to each bereaved family and Rs1 lakh to each seriously injured.
Those with minor injuries would be paid Rs10,000 each, a Railway official said.
Senior railway officials and a medical team had already reached the scene, he said.
Meanwhile, railway has announced an ex-gratia of Rs5 lakh each to kins of the 11 deceased in the accident, which occurred today, chief PRO of NER told PTI at Gorakhpur.
Eight of the dead had been identified, police said adding majority of the victims hailed from Gonda district.
The dead identfied were Nanke (26), Chighroo (50), Shiv Murat (50), Manoj Kumar Singh (24), Cheddan (25), Indra Dev Tewari (40), Ram Lagan (50) and Krishna Dev Mishra (40).
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