Harda twin train derailment

Harda twin train derailment

Time	4 August 2015, 23:30 IST
Location	Near Kudawa station, Harda district, Madhya Pradesh, India
Coordinates	22°13′24″N 76°55′50″E / 22.22320°N 76.93053°E
Country	India
Rail line	Khandwa-Itarsi Railway line
Operator	Indian Railways
Type of incident	Derailment
Cause	Trackbed washed away
Statistics
Trains	Two
Passengers	300+
Deaths	31
Injuries	~100

On 4 August 2015, two passenger trains – Kamayani Express and Janata Express – derailed near Kudawa railway station, 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Harda, Madhya Pradesh.^[1][2] At least 31 people were killed and 100 people were injured.

Accident

The Kamayani Express, which was headed to Varanasi on the down line, derailed as flash floods (caused by Cyclonic Storm Komen) dislodged a culvert near the Machak river, causing track misalignment. The derailment resulted in some coaches becoming submerged in the river and some coaches blocking the up line. The Janata Express derailed near the same spot soon after. At least 31 people died and 100 people were injured. Several people were reported to be washed away by the river.^[3][4][5][6] Six coaches of the Kamayani Express and the engine plus the four coaches of the Janata Express derailed.^[7]

A train safely crossed the bridge ten minutes before the first derailment. The river level was abnormally high, and flash floods gradually washed away the trackbed, resulting in sinking of the track. The driver of the Janata Express applied the brakes but could not stop the train from derailing.^[7][8]

Rescue

Rescuers searched through the night for survivors and bodies. Over 300 people were rescued. The adverse weather conditions delayed the arrival of the rescue teams. Local residents were reported to have helped initially.^[9] By the morning of 5 August, the derailed trains had been removed and the bodies of the victims had been recovered.^[10] Over 25 trains traveling from Mumbai, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh were stopped or diverted, mainly into neighboring Rajasthan.^[9]

Investigation

The Commissioner for Railway Safety in the Central Railway zone opened an inquiry into the accident.^[11]

See also

• 2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
• 2015 Myanmar floods

References

1. "29 killed in Harda twin train derailment". The Hindu.
2. "Kamayani and Janata Express train accidents". IBN.
3. "20 dead after MP twin train derailment". Hindustan Times.
4. "India train crash: multiple deaths as two express services derail at bridge". the Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
5. "Indian trains derailed by flash flood in Madhya Pradesh – BBC News". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
6. "Sudden flash flood may have caused accident". Hindustan Times.
7. "Washout of Track Led to Derailment of Two Trains: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
8. "Suresh Prabhu calls Harda derailment a natural calamity; officials feel warning signs ignored". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
9. "Dozens Still Missing In Harda Train Tragedy, 300 Rescued". Retrieved 5 August 2015.
10. "Indian trains in deadly derailment in Madhya Pradesh". BBC News. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
11. "Flooding of tracks caused derailment, says A K Mittal, Chairman, Railway Boa". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 August 2015.