SOLAN: Two British women tourists died on the spot, while 18 others were injured and four of them seriously when two bogies of a Special Charted Train derailed between Taksal and Kalka Railway stations on world heritage Kalka- Shimla Railway section, this afternoon.
The deceased were identified as UK national Loraine Tonner 53 and Helen Calder (58), UK national. The bodies were taken by railway authorities for post-mortem to Chandigarh hospital. The injured who were first rushed to Parwanoo hospital were later referred to Max hospital Mohali after giving the first aid.
Inspector General Railway and Traffic SZH Zaidi said that preliminary investigations revealed the Special Charted Train was hired by a Delhi based travel agency ‘Travel World Experience’ for the United Kingdom (UK) tourists from Kalka to Shimla. The train proceeded at 1145 hrs from Kalka and it met with an accident few minutes after its departure from Kalka.
The investigations revealed that the driver of the train was allegedly driving the train in a rash manner that lead to derailing of two bogies out of total four on the train at around 1240 hrs. Mr Zaidi said a total of 41 passengers including four Indians were travelling in the train out of which 18 sustained injuries while two died on the spot.
As soon as the train reached near Horticultural Produce Marketing Corporation factory near Taksal, two of its bogies suddenly got derailed possibly owing to over speeding, leaving two foreign national dead on the spot. Shortly after receiving the information, the local police with the help of people reached the spot, and started the relief and rescue operations by the time concerned officials of the Northern railway arrived at site with relief train from Kalka.
Parwanoo ESI hospital Medical Superintendent Vinod Kapil said a total of ten injured including three women passengers, were brought to hospital who were immediately given first aid and later shifted to Max hospital Mohali on the direction of the railway authorities.
Two bodies that were also brought to hospitals were shifted to Max hospital for post-mortem. The railway authorities have suspended the movement of trains on the section till the removal of the bogies of the Special Charted train. An official said the operation to clear the track has been started and the movement of all the trains would be resumed by tomorrow morning. (AGENCIES)
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