Train-van collision in UP: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal orders inquiry

Kushinagar : Indian Railways minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday ordered an inquiry into Kushinagar train-van collision that killed at least 13 children.

He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the family of deceased, Rs 1 lakh for seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for the ones with minor injuries.

A train crashed into a school van on Thursday morning at an unmanned crossing in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar area, around 50 km from Gorakhpur.

Piyush Goyal said he is deeply pained and anguished over the loss of lives in the tragic accident.

"My thoughts are with families of the deceased and I pray for the early recovery of the injured. Ministry of Railways will provide an ex gratia amount of Rs. 2 lakh for kin of the deceased, Rs. 1 lakh for those with serious injuries and Rs. 50,000 for those with simple injuries," the railway minister said in the statement.

He said that he has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, adding "We stand committed to take all possible steps to avoid such accidents in future".

There were 25 people in the van, mostly children, students of Divine Public School when the Thawe-Kapatanganj passenger train crashed into the van at the unmanned crossing gate at Behpurva, said Railways spokesman Ved Prakash.