91 Dead in Patna-Indore Express Tragedy

Police and locals during rescue operations at the site of accident in Pukhrayan near Kanpur.

At least 91 were killed and more than 100 wounded when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhrayan in Kanpur early Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise.

Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered an enquiry into the accident and has assured “strictest action” against those found responsible for the mishap.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav were also monitoring the situation closely.

While the cause of the accident was not immediately known, the heavy toll is comparable to many other railway accidents in the country in the recent past.

Here are five deadliest train accidents in India in the last five years:

■ March 20, 2015: At least thirty-eight people died and more than 150 injured when the Dehradun-Varanasi Janata Express derailed near Bachhrawan in Uttar Pradesh

■ May 26, 2014: Twenty-two people lost their lives when the Gorakhdham Express came on the same track as a freight train and rammed into it near Khalilabad station in Sant Kabir Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh. Over 50 were injured.

■ May 4, 2014: At least 20 people were killed and about 100 injured when the Diva Junction-Sawantwadi passenger train derailed between Nagothane and Roha stations in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.

■ December 28, 2013: Twenty six people were killed in the Bangalore-Nanded Express train in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh after a fire broke out in an AC 3-tier coach. 54 passengers were expected to be on board in the B1 coach completely gutted in the fire.

■ July 30, 2012: Thirty-five passengers were burnt to death and at least 25 injured when a coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express caught fire near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.