Eight coaches of Punjab Mail derail near Rohtak; 19 injured

Rohtak:  Eight coaches of Mumbai-Ferozpur Punjab Mail derailed early this morning, injuring 19 people. The incident occurred at around 3.30 am near Rohtak.

The injured have been taken to the PGI hospital in Rohtak.

According to the IG Railways (Haryana), 300 metres of railway track has been damaged but no casualties or major injuries have been reported.

The ill-fated bogies that derailed include sleeper coaches from S-5 to S-10, apart from the guard-cum-luggage van, officials said.

Railway authorities say that rescue operations have been launched and buses have been pressed into service so that the passengers do not suffer. They also said that the exact reason of the accident is still not known and that the coaches are being examined.

Anil Saxena, Public Relations Officer, Railways, said, "The Railways Minister himself spoke to the driver as well as the hospital authorities this morning. The Railways will bear the cost of treatment."

He also said that one person has been seriously injured, while others have sustained bruises. "The traffic between Delhi and Rohtak has been affected; our teams have reached the spot and are trying to clear the tracks," Mr Saxena added.

The train was scheduled to reach Delhi by 8 am.