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Saturday, Dec 15, 2007
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Sixteen killed as bus rams speeding train

Sarabjit Pandher

Gate at manned rail crossing was open; State to bear all expenses for treatment of the injured

— AP

AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY: Relatives grieve beside the bodies of two schoolgirls who were among those killed when a train rammed a bus at a manned railway crossing in Moga district of Punjab on Friday.

CHANDIGARH: Sixteen people were killed and 15 injured when a mini bus rammed the speeding Sutlej Express passenger train at a manned railway crossing in Moga district in Punjab on Friday. Non-official sources said the death toll was higher.

All the dead were passengers of the bus. None aboard the train was injured. Rail traffic on the sector was affected.

Moga district police chief L.K. Yadav told reporters at the spot that the man at the crossing had failed to close the gate and the bus driver did not see the train due to dense fog.

However, witnesses said the bus driver, who appeared to be in a hurry, had coaxed the man to open the gate.

The train dragged the bus for more than 20 metres before coming to a halt. By then the bus was reduced to a mangled mass of metal.

While the bodies of the victims were taken to the Moga district civil hospital for identification and post-mortem examination, the injured were rushed to different hospitals in Moga, Jagraon and Ludhiana.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 1 lakh to the next of kin of those killed. He said the government would bear all the expenses for the treatment of the injured.

Later in the day, he visited the hospitals.

Meanwhile, a spokesman was quoted as saying that a case was registered against the gateman and the bus driver at the Railway Police Station, Faridkot, under Sections 304, 337, 120B of the IPC for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, endangering public safety, criminal conspiracy, respectively and 175 of the Railway Act.

Marcus Dam reports from Kolkata:

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the kin of each of the dead.

Those seriously injured will get Rs. 50,000 and those who had minor injuries will get Rs. 15,000.

Mr. Prasad told journalists that jobs would be considered for a member of the family of the dead if they were found to be very poor and needy.

He said an inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

It would be conducted by the Commissioner, Railway Safety, Northern Division.

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