Title - Hemkund Express engine derails at Samba

JAMMU, Aug 2: A major tragedy was averted Friday morning when the engine of the Jammu-bound Hemkund Express derailed shortly after it left Samba station around 4.30 AM.

Since the train was moving at a slow pace while moving out of Samba station the remaining bogies of the train did not derail and none of the passengers was hurt.

According to official sources, only engine of Jammu bound Hemkund Express derailed near Samba railway overbridge, thus affecting rail traffic on the route. Sources stated that one of the wheels of the engine was detached, which led to this accident.

Following this mishap, several Jammu bound trains on this route were halted at different stations in Kathua, Samba, Hira Nagar for several hours before clearing the track. Rajdhani Express, Jammu Mail, Holiday Special and several others trains were running behind the schedule. Railway authorities had pressed separate engine from Jammu loco shed for the final leg of the journey.

The technical staff from Jammu was rushed to the spot to carry out the necessary repair works. The traffic on the route was resumed after a gap of more than five hours, shortly before 10.00 AM. The railway authorities ordered an in house inquiry to find out the reasons behind derailing of the engine.

SSP Railways Shiv Kumar Sharma, while talking to media persons, said, “Due to landslide following incessant rains overnight, there was landslide on the railway track at Bailgad just few miles of Samba. Due to this the track got covered with mud and falling tress. Jammu-bound Hemkund Express derailed when one of the wheels of its engine got detached on the railway track around 4.30 AM while passing through debris.”

“The rail traffic on Jammu- Pathankot route remained suspended from 4.30 AM to 10.30 AM and resumed after clearance of the track and repair of fault to the bogey,” he said. He informed that no one was injured in the incident.