Jaunpur train crash
Encyclopedia
The Jaunpur train crash was the result of an act of sabotage which caused the derailment of a passenger train at Jaunpur
in Uttar Pradesh
, a state in Northern India
on the 13 May 2002.
to Patna
at a time of high tension between Muslim and Hindu groups in the area who have a history of mutual violence and antagonism. The train derailed suddenly after hitting a broken rail, throwing the carriages in the air and dragging thirteen of them off the rails, some into each other.
Fortunately, there was no fire, and local people and emergency services were able to rescue eveyone from the wreckage promptly and effectively, with the 80 injured receiving medical care at local hospitals. Twelve passengers were reported to have been killed as a result of the crash, all in one carriage which rolled over.
Following the incident, reports from local police surfaced indicating that the train had derailed because somebody had removed restraining fishplates from the rails, thus causing them to shift out of alignment as successive trains passed over them. These plates had not been stolen, but had been deliberately removed and left in the vicinity, indicating a terrorist attack. This opinion was confirmed by subsequent investigations into the accident.
Trains in the Jaunpur area are frequently targeted by terrorists, such as the 2005 Jaunpur train bombing, and one of the most effective ways to derail a train surrepticiously is through the removal of fishplates before the train passes by, as in the Rafiganj rail disaster. Railway officials suggested that the sabotage was conducted by the Student's Islamic Movement of India, but several other Islamic extremist organisations have been known to operate in the state as well (see Terrorism in India
).
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Jaunpur is a city and a municipal board in Jaunpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Jaunpur district is located to the northwest of the district of Varanasi in the eastern part of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2001 census, Jaunpur district had a population...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, a state in Northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on the 13 May 2002.
Overview
The Shramjivi Express was travelling from New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
to Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
at a time of high tension between Muslim and Hindu groups in the area who have a history of mutual violence and antagonism. The train derailed suddenly after hitting a broken rail, throwing the carriages in the air and dragging thirteen of them off the rails, some into each other.
Fortunately, there was no fire, and local people and emergency services were able to rescue eveyone from the wreckage promptly and effectively, with the 80 injured receiving medical care at local hospitals. Twelve passengers were reported to have been killed as a result of the crash, all in one carriage which rolled over.
Following the incident, reports from local police surfaced indicating that the train had derailed because somebody had removed restraining fishplates from the rails, thus causing them to shift out of alignment as successive trains passed over them. These plates had not been stolen, but had been deliberately removed and left in the vicinity, indicating a terrorist attack. This opinion was confirmed by subsequent investigations into the accident.
Trains in the Jaunpur area are frequently targeted by terrorists, such as the 2005 Jaunpur train bombing, and one of the most effective ways to derail a train surrepticiously is through the removal of fishplates before the train passes by, as in the Rafiganj rail disaster. Railway officials suggested that the sabotage was conducted by the Student's Islamic Movement of India, but several other Islamic extremist organisations have been known to operate in the state as well (see Terrorism in India
Terrorism in India
Terrorism in India is primarily attributable to religious communities and Naxalite radical movements.The regions with long term terrorist activities today are Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai, Central India and the Seven Sister States...
).
External links
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/1984014.stm BBC News Report
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/05/13/stories/2002051304390100.htm 'The Hindu' News Report
- rediff.com News Report
- http://civilaviation.nic.in/ccrs/accidents/Jul%2005/ACCIDENT(iii)%20OF%20Jul%2005.htm Accident report specifying sabotage as primary cause