New Delhi, Wednesday 21 October 2009: At least 15 persons were killed and scores got injured in a collision between the Goa Express and the Mewar express near Mathura early Wednesday.

The incident occurred at around 4.45 am, near the Bajna Bridge in Mathura, when the Goa Express rammed the stationary Mewar Express from behind; both trains were Delhi-bound.

The Vasco-da-Gama-Nizamuddin Goa Express hit the Udaipur City-Nizamuddin Mewar Express from behind at around 4:45 AM, Rajesh Vajpayee, CPRO North-Central Railway said. An unreserved compartment of the Mewar Express was damaged.

Injured passengers have been rushed to nearby hospitals, he added. Railway authorities were using gas cutters to extricate trapped passengers from the damaged bogey.

“Fifteen injured have been taken out from the ill fated general coach of Mewar Express after cutting the bogey,” District Magistrate Dinesh Chandra Shukla said.

An unreserved compartment of the Mewar Express was damaged in the accident that took place between Mathura and Vrindavan.

Divisional Railway Manager, Agra, R D Tripathi, who was at the spot, said prima facie the train driver of the Goa Express was at fault.

The toll is expected to rise as many people are still trapped in the bogey.

Senior police and district official have reached the spot. Fire tenders are also on the job. The Army has also been called-in to assist in the rescue operations. Railway authorities were using gas cutters and foam cutters to extricate the trapped passengers from the damaged bogey.

As of now, the Mewar Express, after detaching the damaged bogey, has left for Nizamuddin with remaining passengers including the ones travelling by the Goa Express.

Mamata Banerjee has announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased. The seriously injured passengers will receive Rs one lakh and those with minor injuries will get Rs 10,000.

UP Agriculture Minister Laxminarain Choudhry also announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased besides a job.

Giving an account of the mishap, a passenger said, “We felt a strong impact. We were sitting and people from the upper berth fell upon is and we ran out of the train”.

In the wake of the accident, Northern Railway has cancelled the Agra Nizamuddin inter-city express and diverted few other trains including the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express, Andhra Pradesh Express and Karnataka Express.They are being diverted via Tundla.