Collision of Train and School Van Kills 13 Children
Thirteen school children were killed in Kushinagar, in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday after a train and school van collided at an unmanned crossing.
The children who died on spot were students of Divine Public School, reported News18.
Eight of the 18 students on board the van were injured in the accident, The Times of India reported.
This is the second tragedy in a month involving school children. On 9 April, 23 children and four of the adults accompanying them were killed when their school van fell into a 100-ft deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district.
(More details awaited)
Railway Minister Holds Review Meet For Elimination of Unmanned Crossings
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal reviewed the plan for elimination of unmanned level crossing (UMLC) on Thursday where it was decided that its progress will be shared on a website to increase accountability, a statement from the ministry said.
A detailed review was done with the GMs of five critical zones with significant number of UMLCs. Progress of elimination of UMLCs will also be shared transparently online through a website to increase accountability and public monitoring.The Railway Ministry’s statement read.
The ministry said that significant progress had been achieved in this regard with only 58 UMLCs remaining on the A, B and C routes which account for more than 80 percent of the Indian Railways traffic.
"Target for eliminating UMLCs in 11 zones will be September 2018. For the remaining five zones targets will be set shortly and will be reviewed for early completion before the set target of 31 March 2020," the statement read.
CM Yogi Adityanath Orders Suspension of Officials, FIR Against School Principal
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered immediate suspension of Basic Education Officer, Block Education Officers of Kushinagar and Dudhi. Adityanath also ordered for suspension of Road Transport Officer and the Passenger Tax Officer.
Police have registered a case against van driver Nayaz Ansari and Kushinagar's Divine Mission School under section section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Orders were issued to register an FIR against the manager and principal of the school who was arrested earlier for running it without without valid registration.
Some eyewitnesses told police that Ansari was talking on his mobile phone and refused to stop the van as a train approached the unmanned level crossing.
(With PTI inputs)
Divine Public School Principal Arrested
The principal of Divine Public School, whose 13 students were killed on Thursday, was arrested after Railway Minister Piyush Goyal ordered an inquiry into the matter.
FIRs were also lodged against the school management under various sections of the IPC. The entire matter will be probed under the supervision of Gorakhpur divisional commissioner.
We were given orders to conduct preliminary inquiry. People from Education Department, Transport Department, Principal of the school and other concerned people were called for interrogation. We’ve submitted detailed report.Anil Kumar, Commissioner, Gorakhpur division
Railway Minister Orders Inquiry Into Kushinagar Train-School Van Accident
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has ordered an inquiry into the Kushinagar train-school van accident after he had already announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased.
The minister also said that the Railways will provide a relief amount of Rs 1 lakh for those with serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for those with simple injuries.
In a statement, Goyal said he was deeply anguished and pained by the loss of lives of young school children at an unmanned level crossing (UMLC) in Kushinagar.
"My thoughts are with families of the deceased and I pray for the early recovery of the injured. Ministry of Railways will provide an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh for kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh for those with serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for those with simple injuries," the railway minister said in a statement.
He said that he has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, adding, "We stand committed to take all possible steps to avoid such accidents in future."
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani said there was a rail-mitra (rail-volunteer) at the spot, who tried to stop the school van, but the driver did not stop, adding that this is the first accident at an unmanned level crossing this year.
Lohani said there are currently 3,479 unmanned level crossings on broad gauge tracks of Indian Railways.
The Railways board chairman also said that a total of 109 accidents have taken place at unmanned level crossings in the country since 2014-15 and asserted that railways aim to eliminate unmanned level crossings by March 2020.