Rishikesh, May 19 (IANS) Three coaches of the Ujjain Express derailed in the Khand Gaon area near the Yog Nagari Railway Station in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh. There were no passengers on board at the time of the incident, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday at around 9:30 p.m.

Restoration work is currently underway at the site of the incident.

According to the initial investigation, the train derailed during shunting operations. Three coaches of the train derailed.

Upon receiving the information, a police team from the local Kotwali station also arrived at the site. Repair work continued late into the night. Kailash Chandra Bhatt, the Inspector-in-Charge of the Kotwali station, stated that the incident occurred during maintenance hours, when no passenger was on board.

Locals reported hearing a loud noise at the time of the accident, prompting residents to rush out of their homes and shops. Railway personnel at the scene immediately evacuated the area, and all movement on the tracks was halted.

According to sources, a technical glitch or human error during shunting operations is preliminarily suspected to be the cause of the accident. However, railway officials are currently refraining from making any definitive statements.

Officials stated that the matter is under investigation and that a technical team is preparing a report. Following the incident, the railway tracks and the damaged sections were inspected. The railway administration is currently carrying out relief and repair operations.

The incident adds to the series of railway-related accidents that have occurred in the past few days.

Earlier on Monday, a massive fire broke out in one of the coaches of a passenger train bound for Patna. No injuries were reported.

The incident occurred on the Sasaram-Patna fast passenger train near the Bihar’s Sasaram railway station at around 6 a.m. According to the preliminary investigation, the fire was caused by a suspected short circuit.

The coach caught fire while it was at the Sasaram railway station shortly before it was scheduled to depart.

On Sunday, a fire broke out in two rear coaches of the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express near Rajasthan’s Kota. No injuries were reported in this incident.

Railway officials said all passengers from the affected coach were immediately deboarded safely. According to railway authorities, the Overhead Equipment (OHE) power supply was immediately shut down after the fire was detected to prevent further danger, and the affected coach was removed.

The officials further stated that the built-in safety systems of the coach functioned promptly, leading to the automatic halt of the train soon after the incident occurred.

–IANS

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