Hirakhand Express tragedy: 7 trains cancelled, 17 diverted

Representational Image (PHOTO: AFP)


Seven trains were cancelled and 17 others were slated to be terminated short of their destination or diverted due to the derailment of the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express in Andhra Pradesh, officials said.

At least 36 people were killed and 50 injured when the train derailed on Saturday night near Kuneru station, 24 km from Rayagada in Odisha. The train was en route to Bhubaneswar from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

The cancelled trains include Visakhapatnam-Raipur Passenger, Rayagada-Visakhapatnam Passenger, Visakhapatnam-Koraput Passenger, Sambalpur-Nanded Express, Jagdalpur-Junagadh Road-Bhubaneswar Hirakhand Express and Visakhapatnam-Korba Express.

The Vijayawada-Rayagada Passenger, Visakhapatnam-Drug Passenger, Durg-Visakhapatnam Passenger, Korba-Visakhapatnam Express, Korapur-Visakhapatnam Passenger, Bhubaneswar-Jagdalpur-Junagadh Road Express and Raipur Visakhapatnam Passenger will be terminated ahead of their destination.

Ten trains, including the Dhanbad-Allepy Express, Hatia-Yesvantpur Express, Puri-Ahmedabad Express, Chennai-Asansol Express, Visakhapatnam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express, Visakhapatnam-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express and Nanded-Sambalpur Express, will ply on diverted routes.