Train services halt after the death of Kanwariyas in UP

NI Wire

Lucknow

Fri, 14 Sep 2007: 

Sep 14: In an unfortunate incident, at least 19 devotees of Lord Shiva, who were on their way for an annual ritual, die in a train mishap. The episode cropped up near Sarayu Ghat Railway station in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday night. Soon after e locals and other devotees protest violently as a result train service are stand still in the Lucknow-Gorakhpur route.

Reportedly the devotees (Kanwariyas) were travelling in Lucknow-Gonda passenger train and near the Sarayu river they pull the emergence chain to stop in order to bring water from the river as per the rituals to offer Lord Shiva. But while they were crossing the adjacent railway track another express train (Gorakhpur Intercity Express) came suddenly and crushed at least 8 of them.

In the whole incident a large number of devotees also jumped into the river in order to save their lives but sadly most of them drowned in the river. The authority who came into rescue hours after the occurrence have recovered 12 bodies so far from the river but the death toll may rise high as it is not clear how many devotees had actually jumped in the river.

Soon after the incident passenger and devotees protested violently at the Sarayu Ghat Railway station damaging railway track and also burnt a cabin of the station.

According to the police and railway administration it was difficult to trace the drowned people in night but rescue workers are still on their way to amass dead bodies but not a single person was saved alive.

Kanwariyas are still on the accident site protesting against the authority and many of them are complaining that rescue officers after recovering bodies of the devotees didn’t handover them the dead bodies of their friends. They are now demanding the authority to hand over all recovered bodies and hence the blockage of train route.