Kanpur (Metro Rail News): In the early hours of Saturday, the Sabarmati Express, which was travelling from Varanasi to Ahmedabad, derailed near Kanpur after striking an object deliberately placed on the railway tracks. The incident took place around 2:35 AM near the Govindpuri station, causing 20 coaches to derail. Recent updates show no casualties or injuries have been reported among passengers or staff.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the derailment through a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), revealing that the train’s engine had collided with an unidentified object deliberately placed on the track, which became the reason for derailment. “Sharp impact marks have been observed. The evidence is being secured, and both the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and UP police are actively investigating the incident,” Vaishnaw stated.
Railway officials have indicated that the involvement of miscreants is under investigation. Initial findings suggest the object was intentionally placed to cause the derailment. Additionally, A foreign material was found near the 16th coach.
According to the loco pilot of Sabarmati Express, the engine hit a rock-like object on the tracks, which heavily damaged the cattle guard. Interestingly, prior to the incident, a train travelling from Patna to Indore passed through the same track at 1:20 AM without any issues.
Currently, rescue and relief operations are underway at the location of accidents. Due to the derailment, the railways cancelled seven trains and diverted three other trains. Shashi Kant Tripathi, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) of the North Central Railway Zone, said that they have made arrangements for buses to carry passengers from the accident site to the Kanpur Railway Station.
This incident is part of a worrying trend of deliberate attempts to sabotage railway operations, with similar cases being reported in recent days. The authorities are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness and are committed to bringing the culprits to justice.
The investigation into the derailment is ongoing, with both the Intelligence Bureau and Uttar Pradesh Police working to uncover the full details behind the incident.
